Imminent Fate
by Shamera
Summary: AU, shounen ai. The boys are faced with a destiny that they don't know about... something that will expose them to the world of magic and time travelling. (sorry, bad summory) 1+2/2+1.
1. part 1

Started: January 21, 2001  
Finished: January 21, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: Same. Can you actually sue someone who's completely broke?   
*ponders* Well, I guess. ^_~ So don't sue, 'kies? 'M just borrowing the   
characters for a while... don't worry, I'll make sure to wash 'em and put 'em  
to sleep by bedtime!  
  
Okay, 1+2/2+1... can't help it, okay! Stop looking at me like that!  
  
Comments!Feedback!Criticism! (Flames will be used for roasting marshmellows)  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 1  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
Duo pressed his forehead to the cool glass before letting out a minute  
sigh. It was raining outside... the mere fact which could once get him up and  
bouncing out the door in an attempt to play in the rain. Every one of them   
had missed enough childhood for them to give up on what was left of their   
lives...  
  
But he really didn't feel like it today. It was one of those days where  
he wished that he could just hide himself under the covers and sleep his life   
away. He had left his room because he knew that there was no way he could   
keep a smile today. It wasn't the date that bothered him... oh no. It was   
just one of those days where he couldn't tell the difference between reality   
and fantasy. When he couldn't remember if he had dreamed up an event, or if   
it had been real.  
  
"Duo?"  
  
He turned to see Quatre smiling gently at him from outside the door.   
The blonde Arabian was hiding his hands in his jeans pocket, looking very   
much like a nervous teen.  
  
Which he was supposed to be. But wasn't.  
  
"Duo?" Quatre asked again, looking at him worriedly before walking up  
to the dim light that made out the American's figure. Sitting himself on the  
otherside of the windowsill, Quatre peered at his friend. "What's wrong?"  
  
Duo sat blankly for about a minute before blowing out his breath. There  
was a hint of sadness in the normally happy voice as he said, "Nothing,   
actually. I don't know what's wrong with me today, Quatre. I'm sorry for   
worrying you... I'm just not really in the mood to talk today."  
  
The Arabian gave a small sigh and nodded. "Alright, then. I suppose we  
all know how you feel... and I'll make sure the others leave you alone for   
today. But just remember, if you feel like talking, or just some companion-  
ship, we're all here to help."  
  
Duo gave no response. He looked out the glass at the light rain that   
was falling outside, and again wondered why he was so bothered by the dark   
skies. There was a soft 'click' as Quatre exitted and closed the door behind  
him, making sure that no one else would disturb Duo in his thoughts.   
  
With a soft sigh, Duo pulled his knees up to his chest. Today just felt  
so *wrong*. He knew there was something bothering him... but Hell! He just   
couldn't figure out why he was so upset.   
  
_Well,_ he thought with a smirk, _Maybe I can._  
  
Considering how distant Heero had been acting for the past week, it was  
a miracle that Duo had kept it together for so long. Duo knew Heero better   
than the other boy thought he did. He could feel the times when Heero would  
just stare at his back, wondering why Duo did the things he did.   
  
The dark haired Japanese pilot was a complete mystery to almost anyone  
who met him. Perhaps that was why Relena was so attracted to Heero. It would  
take a strong person to figure that mystery out.   
  
He wondered if it was the mystery he had come to love, or the person.   
It wouldn't be fair to Heero if... Duo pushed his bangs from his face   
violently. Heero falling in love with him was unexpected. Duo hadn't the time  
to come to terms with his own emotions yet, and he was very surprised that  
the Perfect Soldier had already accepted his own feelings.  
  
_He probably already analized the feeling and word until he realized   
that he can't push it away,_ Duo thought sarcastically. _So much for no   
weaknesses. But... can I do the same?_   
  
He had no doubt that he loved Heero. He knew that Heero felt the same.  
So now it's just a fucking fairy tale come true, right?  
  
Wrong.  
  
Dear God, why couldn't anything be easy in his life? The one thing that  
he was conviced was going to be the hardest challenge for him whapped him in  
the face and melted into a puddle.  
  
What did he mean by that? He didn't know.   
  
_Heero..._ Duo gave a shake to his head, and listened carefully as he   
heard Quatre whisper to Wufei about not disturbing him. Heero was out getting  
the groceries for them, (Duo had no doubt that every meal for the next week   
was going to be disgustingly healthy... and that Duo just might 'find' one or  
two of the snacks he had 'hidden' away so long ago that he forget about it.)  
and Trowa was out on some minor mission.   
  
Leaning his head against the cool glass again, Duo watched the rain   
drip down the window, focusing his eyes to the dim-lit streets outside. Maybe  
if he looked hard enough, he could see Heero coming back...  
  
Wait. There.  
  
Duo squinted as he saw a black shape stop slowly approch the house. He   
was on the second floor, but visibility was poor in this weather. Who in the  
world would possibly be out now(except for him, of course)? Even Heero drove  
when it was raining, not wanting to 'endanger' the mission by getting sick.  
  
^Duo.^  
  
Duo startled, nearly falling out of his window seat as he turned   
around, about to give Wufei a piece of his mind for interrupting his   
thoughts, maybe also wipe that smirk on the Chinese boy's face which was sure  
to be there because Duo was actually *thinking* for once...  
  
There was no one in the room.  
  
A flash of lightning gave the darkened room an eerie look before the   
light faded, giving way to the small lamplight that was lit on the desk. Duo  
held his breath as his violet eyes scanned the room, looking and spreading  
his senses to see if there was anyone else in the room besides him.  
  
Again, no one.   
  
The lightning flashed again, this time strange because of the odd   
silence that accompanied it instead of the usual thunder rolling.   
  
Mentally scolding himself for being so childishly scared of monsters   
and thunderstorms, Duo turned his attention on the outside world once more.   
Everything still looked the same, down the the black figure that had been   
moving before.   
  
That black figure. Duo pressed his face against the glass, hoping to   
see more than just the form. As he studied the disfigured form, he realized  
he was looking at a horse. No, not really a horse. It had something large   
attached to its back. TWO large somethings.  
  
_A Pegasus?_ He quickly went over the Greek mythologies that included   
Pegasus in it, then shook his head. Such creatures did not exist.  
  
Then why was the thought of a pegasus so familiar... and comforting?  
Sure, he believed in the omens that unicorns were good luck... but he hadn't  
ever heard of anything about Pegasus before. A legendary horse that flew   
heros? Very unlikely.  
  
Duo pressed both hands to the glass now, searching for the black   
figure, wishing that it would look up at him. He couldn't see the black horse  
anymore, and that made Duo sad, though he was unsure why.  
  
"It was probably a trick of the light," Duo murmured to himself, taking  
his hand back from the glass that was now so cold. He smiled grimmly to   
himself, and stretched his legs out on the rest of the windowsill. He really  
had to get out of that attitude before Heero came back. It wouldn't be too   
nice to subject the poor, confused soldier to a load of pissed Duo, would   
it?  
  
Naaaaah. Too tempting.  
  
Feeling a tiny bit of his usual cheer come back to him, Duo bounced off  
the seat he was sitting on and gave a good stretch, hearing his back pop in a   
way that just felt *so good*...   
  
There was a slight push on his arm, a nuzzling that make Duo look side-  
ways to see what he was brushing against.  
  
Liquid dark eyes looked back at him patiently.  
  
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+ --- @o@!!  
  
Quatre looked up from where he was reading on the couch to see Heero   
entering the room, scowling and brushing wet bangs aside. "Ohayo, Heero."   
The blonde boy said with a smile. "I take it you forgot the umbrella?"  
  
"Hn." Heero grunted and made his way up the stairs, pausing only to   
take a look at the door which he came from.   
  
Quatre knew that he should probably tell Heero about Duo's mood, but   
then pushed it aside as he realized that Heero was the only one who hadn't   
ever seen Duo's dark moods. It was about time for the pilot of Wing to   
realize that Duo Maxwell actually took some time everyday to himself just to   
think about things. Quatre knew that Duo didn't want Heero to know, but there  
were just some things that Heero had to know about Duo if they were to work  
together on a more... private level.   
  
"Do you really think that those two will ever stop to realize how they  
keep dancing around each other?" Quatre asked to the darkness behind the   
couch.   
  
There was a faint ruffling noise as Trowa shifted, not answering the   
small Arabian in words but in the presense that he was thinking about it.   
  
Quatre looked back at his book, the words forgotten. "I hope so."  
  
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^ --- .!!  
  
Alicorn...  
  
Duo pressed his face into the thick, black hide. He didn't know why  
the creature was so familiar, but he wasn't going to complain.   
  
He had nearly shrieked when he saw the dim shape of the winged horse   
that had been in the streets behind him. But when the small horse nuzzled   
him on the chest, it was just so... *right*. It didn't even bother Duo that  
there was a foot long black horn pertruding from the creature's forehead.   
  
Things had gone on from there as Duo verbally tried to communicate   
with the animal, a bit in awe of the mythical creature that was so fond of   
him. To his disappointment, the alicorn didn't seem to understand what he   
was saying, much less his questions about 'how the hell an alicorn could   
exist in days like these...'  
  
It was when the creature folded a wing around him that he realized   
questions like that were useless. It was probably just a dream. A dream that  
he had better take advantage of, considering the luck it meant to have a   
mythical creature visit your dreams.   
  
Duo sighed happily against the alicorn's neck. He was curled up against  
the black mare, warm with a blanket of rough feathers protecting his back.   
The horse smelled of fresh rain, and Duo couldn't help but wonder at how he  
was going to explain this to Heero if the alicorn was real.  
  
He could feel the mare nuzzling his forehead, and frowned at how real  
the contact felt. The alicorn was real enough in his mind. He could almost   
remember times like this... but he had been a child then.   
  
He remembered this warm feel and the smell of fresh rain before he had  
met Solo... when he had been alone on the streets. He remembered the feeling  
after Solo died, before he was brought to the church. And also after the   
church fell... he remembered curling up to a warmth that had nuzzled him,   
made him feel safe when he was alone. The feel of weathered feathers that had  
once been soft, and the thought that he had to get through the situation   
intact because he was still needed.  
  
"I remember you," Duo murmured into the feathers, his hand curling   
around the mane of black hair that was slipping down the thick neck. "You're  
the one who gave me to Howard... was there when I was on that shuttle..."  
  
The alicorn whinnied softly, careful not to disturb the teenaged boy  
who was slipping into sleep by her side.   
  
"You're as dark as the night," Duo continued to talk, not caring if his  
speech was getting slurred. "What's your name, Night Mare? Or should I just   
call you NightMare? I think it's rather appropriate..."  
  
Liquid black eyes stared blankly at him, urging him to go to sleep.   
  
Resting his head on the black hide, Duo's eyes slid shut slowly. He   
gave a lopsided smile as he realized he was forgetting all about this   
incident.   
  
^Sleep, young one. You have a big battle ahead.^  
  
Duo nodded slowly. "'Kay." His voice was faint. "But I wish I'd   
remember you when I wake up... I wanna remember this..."  
  
The alicorn... NightMare, just settled to watch the American boy slip  
into a deep slumber before moving again.   
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* --- ^_~!!  
  
Toweling his hair dry, Heero slipped into the room that he and Duo   
shared. He had showered to get the acidy rain from his body, and was now   
curious to see how his partner would try to bother him today.   
  
Heero couldn't deny the growing attraction between him and the pilot   
of DeathScythe anymore than he could deny the fact that he was human. He   
hadn't realized this until last week, when Duo and Wufei had been called to   
a mission, and he had the room all to himself.  
  
He had never been so unnerved by the silence in his life. There was no  
music playing in the background, no sound of feet from someone running across  
the room and bouncing up and down trying to get his attention. Not even the   
soft breathing that was now so familiar, so calm and soothing to Heero.   
  
Closing the door behind him, Heero turned on the lights in the room.   
Sure, the lamp was on... but Duo wasn't usually one who liked the darkness.   
He was perfectly fine with turning on everything he could to make him look   
like he was in a constant spotlight.   
  
Turning around, Heero was startled slightly by the image of Duo asleep   
at the windowsill, his head in the soft curtains and one hand curled under   
his chin, pulling at the silk curtain.   
  
Heero had watched Duo sleep many, many times. Each time was embedded   
permenately into Heero's memory, the image of Duo looking so peaceful and   
young and... *innocent* was something that Heero was not used to. But this   
time... this time there was a genuine smile splitting Duo's face, making the  
other boy unbearably cute.   
  
Heero's eyes softened considerbly as he took in that thought. Walking   
lightly enough not to wake the sleeping boy, Heero slipped his arms under   
Duo and lifted him up, standing there for a moment and enjoying the sensation  
of having the DeathScythe pilot so close.   
  
Duo's hand, having left the grasp of the curtain, now seeked Heero's   
shirt as he fisted a bunch of the soft material and sighed, snuggling into  
Heero's chest.   
  
Wing's pilot froze, his arms going rigid as Duo snorted in complaint.  
It took a few minutes before Heero was able to move again, walking to Duo's  
bed and gently laying the boy down under the blankets, making sure to pull   
the comforter up to Duo's chin.   
  
Taking an extra minute just to look at Duo, Heero allowed himself a   
small smile that strained at his mouth muscles. There was just something   
about the self-proclaimed Shinigami that was so attractive. Some light in   
who Duo was that made the people around him feel so much lighter. He wasn't   
sure what it was, but Heero felt that he just had to understand that feeling  
before he was worthy enough to recieve it.   
  
Taking care to allow Duo's hand to grip the comforter, Heero sat down  
on his own bed. He should really be scanning for missions right now... be   
looking for something that OZ was hiding up their sleeve.   
  
But that could wait just a while longer. He would watch Duo for just a   
while longer....  
  
@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@ --- ;-D !!  
  
NightMare turned her head and shook out her mane. The rain was starting  
to soak into her wings, but she didn't mind. Her little one was safe again..  
The Dark Ones were taking an interest in her adopted human, and was sneaking  
in to darken moods... but she would make sure that her Duo didn't stay un-  
happy. He had to be innocent to fight the Darkness.   
  
She gave her wings a great flap, and rose higher in the air. She would  
make sure that he was safe. She wouldn't... couldn't, loose her child again.  
  
  
  
End part 1.  
  
  
My Muse- *glares at Alycilos, who cringes back* is being mean. *GLA~ARE*   
He knows perfectly well that I have an 8-page research paper due tomorrow  
but won't let me start. *sigh* *pokes Alycilos* Meanie. 


	2. part 2

Started: January 21, 2001  
Finished: January 23, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: The G-boys aren't mine, but... *makes goo-goo eyes at Duo*  
(Heero growls and tugs on Duo braid, making sure the other pilot stays away   
from the 'psycho authoress') Ah-HEM. Anyway, I'm just babysitting them.  
  
1+2/2+1... yeah. Comment, please! ^_^ *halo*  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 2  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
"Pleeeeeeeeeease???? With whipped cream and strawberries covered with   
fudge and cherries on top?????? Pretty please??"  
  
Heero sighed as he watched Duo attack the poor girl in the lunch line.  
Said poor girl was glaring weakly at Duo. Anyone who even glanced their   
direction knew that the girl would give in to Duo's pleas at any moment.   
  
"If I let you before me, Duo," she started, her voice exasperated,   
"Then I don't think I'd get anything to eat! That'd be unfair to everyone   
behind me, also!"   
  
There was a murmur to amused agreement to that. Nearly everyone in   
school knew of Duo's eating habits, even if he had only registered a little   
more than two weeks ago.   
  
Duo held up his hands, a fake look of hurt on his face. "How 'bout my  
friends go behind me? I would NEVER leave them starving!"  
  
The girl grumbled a little, talking about leaving only enough for four  
normal people. But grumbling did no good as the Gundam pilots suddenly found  
themself around the front of the line. How Duo did that each day, Heero did   
not know.   
  
"You know," Quatre spoke, sounding amused, "Cathy's right. The rate   
you eat at the dinner table, there won't be anything left after you raid   
the caferteria."  
  
Duo wrinkled his nose at the thought. "You can't really think that   
way," he explained to Quatre. "It's school food, after all. The kind of food  
that's probably been sitting around for months on end... either that or the   
food that they give before they feed the pigs. Who's to know what makes up  
caferteria food?"  
  
Quatre's smile faltered a little when he heard about the things he had   
been eating and would be eating. "Don't be silly, Duo!"  
  
Duo's only response was a cheeky grin.  
  
  
  
Wufei gave a low growl to the girl that hadn't stopped pestering him   
about her history homework. "What of it, onna?!" he demanded, more than a   
little exasperation creeping into his voice. "I'm not even in your class!"  
  
The short brunnette gave a hurt look, but glared at him strongly. She   
wagged a finger at him, brown eyes flashing as she started yelling at him   
for being rude to the opposite gender and that he had a *sexist* opinion on  
everything. In truth, she outrightedly told him that he had a problem. A   
very bad one that should be seen to before someone got SERIOUSLY offended.   
Namely her.  
  
Beginning to get very steamed, Wufei wondered just how many ways he   
could take justice out on her if she did anything wrong.   
  
"Excuse me, Lucida, but could I talk to Wufei for a second?"  
  
Both pairs of eyes turned towards a slightly smiling girl wearing a   
proper school uniform and carrying her books under both arms. She had long   
black hair tied behind her carelessly and friendly grey eyes. She had a thick  
chain necklace that dropped down to her chest, the bottom being weighed down  
by a metal circle with a star in the middle. She was taller than even Trowa.  
  
Lucida stood stock still for a moment, then stammered an apology and   
began to leave as quickly as possible. The poor girl looked a bit pale.  
  
Wufei bristled as he was shoved aside, but turned to look at the new-  
comer cooly, meeting her even gaze.   
  
After half a minute of trying to gain the upper hand over each other,   
her face broke out into a smile. Wufei blinked, not used to such changes even  
though he lived in the same house as Duo Maxwell.  
  
"My name is Artemis. I've heard quite a bit about you and your friends,  
Wufei." She smiled gently at him, not once moving any muscle except for the   
ones at her mouth.   
  
Wufei opened his mouth to protest about being the rumor and mystery of  
the week when Artemis shook her head.   
  
"I'm not here to ask for details if your friends are avaliable or not.  
In fact, it's more that my cousins want to invite the five of you to a party  
this weekend. Most of the grade is going. We'd be delighted to have you guys  
along with us. We knew you haven't really tried to make any new friends ever  
since you came to this school... well, except for Duo and Quatre, that is."  
  
Wufei scowled at her, crossing his arms but not denying a word that she  
was saying. Great. Some onna comes up and invites the Gundam pilots to a   
party... one that would make them look suspicious if they didn't go to.  
  
"I really don't know why you guys stick together and why you never   
talk with anyone," the girl said through half-lidded eyes, making her look  
more intimdating than she really was. "But you would be the only ones not   
going to the party...."  
  
Damn it! How did she know what he was thinking?  
  
"...but if you want to maintain that mysterious outlook, you don't   
have to go. But just loosen up a little, okay? Teenagers have fun, after   
all." She gave him a half smile, and turned to walk away.   
  
Wufei frowned as she was surrounded by other girls, all of them asking  
about various things, Artemis being the center of attention.   
  
Damn onnas.  
  
  
  
"Duo!"  
  
The boy turned at the sound of his name, nearly face to face with the   
one who hadn't expected him to stop running.  
  
"Hi Diana!" He said cheerfully, shifting his books so that they weren't  
so uncomfortable when he stopped moving. "Whuzzup?"  
  
Diana, whom Duo swore had to be Quatre's twin, all the way down to the  
short blond hair, looked nervously at Heero, who was standing besides Duo,  
having also stopped. She offered back a shakey smile and handed him a piece  
of paper. "My cousins are holding a party this weekend. Everyone's going.   
Wanna come along?"  
  
Duo read through the paper once, looking at the times and if this was  
going to be one of the 'parties of the year'. It was.   
  
Stealing a glance at her through his heavy bangs, he saw her fingering  
that silver star necklace she wore, and gave a lopsided grin. "Hey, sure,   
why not. We're not doing anything, are we Heero?" He glanced at the Japanese  
boy besides him, and then shrugged. "Quatre and Trowa might want to go too,  
but I don't know about Wufei-"  
  
"Oh! Artemis already asked him. He's going." She gave a confident   
smile that made Duo more than a little nervous.   
  
"Ummm... alright. If you say so."   
  
Diana gave him a grin. "Don't look at me that way. If my sister did   
something that I don't know about, my cousins would surely know about it.   
Not to mention my parents..." she shuddered. "She's not allowed to have even  
hit Wufei to convince him to go." She paused. "Too bad though."  
  
Duo laughed. Artemis was one large girl, towering over him with at   
least a good half feet. Having beaten most boys easily in strength games,   
there was no one who wanted to challenge her. The fact that her last name was  
'Delos'(1) only helped that reputation. But she was kind enough that the   
girls flocked around her, the guys ever weary.  
  
"Don't be so hard on Wu-man." He stated. "He still needs to learn that  
girls can, sometimes, take down a moble suit by themselves if they want to.  
Just because he doesn't know yet doesn't mean anything. Give him time."  
  
"I know. I really don't care for his attitude, but-" she was cut off  
by a low moan that sounded behind Duo. Duo whirled around as Diana's eyes   
grew wide to see a man with the wings of a bat, beating those worn wings   
repeatedly and shrieking loudly as he dropped to the ground.   
  
"Great Goddess," Diana muttered, her bluegreen eyes wide with dis-  
belief. She was clutching her necklace tightly.  
  
Duo gaped for half a second, ignoring the look that Heero had thrown  
him, and then raced to where the creature had fallen. However, the moment   
that he had reached out to touch the fallen creature, it turned to dust and  
disappeared.  
  
Duo pulled his hand back sharply, holding his breath as the dust blew  
past his face. There was a slight numbing feeling that passed as soon as the  
wind did, and left him cold and tired.   
  
Turning around to meet Diana's wide eyes and Heero's impassive stare,  
he demanded, "What the hell was that?!"  
  
  
  
Quatre and Trowa were sitting on the roots of the tree as Duo aruged   
to Heero about some sort of demon that they had seen. Wufei was sitting   
quietly on one of the higher branches while Duo was sitting on a low branch  
and Heero was standing up.   
  
"He had black wings... y'know, like DeathScythe's wings... I wasn't   
sure, but I think he had a rat's *tail* too..."  
  
"Duo." Heero cut in, voice just a tiny bit exasperated. "There was   
nothing there."  
  
"Yes there was!" Duo stood up on the tree branch, not bothering to  
gain his balance before he hung on to a higher branch and pulled himself   
up. "I saw it, Diana saw it... I don't understand why no one else saw that  
thing! It had to be a demon or something!"  
  
Heero reached out a hand to stable the swaying branches that had been  
viciously attacked with Duo's each move. "Diana saw *something*." There was   
a strong emphasis on 'something'. "She didn't know what it was."  
  
"It was probably the glare of the sun," Quatre suggested helpfully.   
"There could really have been something there but you thought you saw some-  
thing else in the glare of the sun."  
  
Duo blew his bangs from his eyes as he learned on the tree trunk. "I  
was facing away from the sun, Quatre. There was no glare from anything   
getting in the way. I swear I saw what I saw, and then I saw that man turn   
to dust as soon as he hit the ground!"  
  
"Maxwell," Wufei's annoyed tone came from above. "Maybe you just need  
a vacation. Consider this one."  
  
Duo looked up and growled. "I wasn't hallucinating!"  
  
Quatre sighed, "What did you see, Heero?"  
  
Heero turned to Quatre and Trowa, then answered, "Black dust."  
  
"There wasn't just black dust," Duo repeated, sounding like he already  
had it with the rest of them. "There was a *man*. I'm sure of it."  
  
"What you described wasn't a man, Maxwell." Wufei said. "It's more  
like a monster."  
  
"Man, monster, whatever you want to call it." Duo interfered. "But I   
know what I saw and it wasn't just dust. There's something very strange with  
this school."  
  
Quatre eyed the long-haired boy questionably. As much as he hated to   
admit it, Duo really needed a break. "Maybe we should just finish this   
mission and move back, then." He said. "You can relax, Duo. This mission   
doesn't require all five of us..."  
  
"I'm not crazy!" Duo exploded. He gave a low growl in the back of his  
throat. "Why does everyone think that I'm crazy? Besides obvious reasons,  
that is. There was a man. He had wings. He fell to the ground and turned to   
dust. That's all I'm saying."  
  
"And that's why we're so concerned, Duo." Quatre clamped his mouth   
shut after that one. Had he actually said that aloud?!  
  
Duo considered just shutting up about the whole incident then. If   
Quatre was so exasperated with him, then... He grit this teeth. Oh, he was   
*never* going to tell them anything ever again.   
  
"Oh. Oh no. I didn't mean that, Duo. But... what you're saying... it's  
just hard to believe, that's all."  
  
Duo gave up. "Fine. But when I talk to Diana about this... and she   
confirms what I say- THEN I'm going to laugh in your face and say 'I told you  
so.'"  
  
He glared down at Heero. "I find it too hard to think that the 'Perfect  
Soldier' didn't see something as obvious as that. But it MAY have been a   
trick of the light, like Quatre said. I'm willing to believe that you might  
not have seen it, and am not trying to make a fool out of me."  
  
Heero gave him an impassive glare.  
  
Duo jumped off the tree, landing on his feet lightly despite the length  
from where he had jumped.   
  
"I'm going to have a talk with Diana. Maybe with Artemis as well."  
  
With that, he walked away, leaving the other pilots to contemplate over  
what he had said.  
  
  
  
Duo approached Diana Delos sitting quietly with Artemis Delos. They   
were both writing their homeworks on the benches near the front of the   
school, looking like nothing strange had ever happened.  
  
"Yo, Diana!"  
  
Diana turned her head when she heard him and offered him a shy smile.   
Artemis also looked up, but she grinned openly at him.   
  
"Diana... can I talk to you for a second?" Duo asked.  
  
Diana set her homework aside. "Sure, Duo. What can I do for you?"  
  
Duo breathed a sigh, for he knew that Diana wasn't going to leave her  
sister just sitting there. "Oh, well. I wanted to ask you about that strange  
thing that we saw this afternoon..."  
  
Diana's eyes turned wide. "Oh.. That."  
  
"Yeah, you saw it too? Of course you did. I was talking about that with  
me friends and they wouldn't believe me. Huh. Imagine that. Heero said he   
didn't see anything, though I think he's lying. I don't know what's he's   
lying for when he said that all he saw was some black dust but I remembered  
that you saw it too, so I came here to make sure I wasn't going crazy when  
I told the others what I saw-"  
  
"Duo." Diana stopped him with a hand on his arm. "I don't understand  
what you're talking about."  
  
Duo gave her a shakey grin. "What we saw this afternoon? That man with  
the wings?"  
  
Diana gave him a concerned look. "I don't know what you're talking   
about, Duo. I saw a giant, black cloud that passed through you. That's all."  
  
Duo froze. "Y-you... what?"  
  
Diana's eyes grew even more concerned. "I saw a cloud. It could have  
been the dust that Heero was talking about, but that's what I saw. Then   
that cloud seemingly dropped to the ground... you walked up to it and tried  
to touch it, and it went right through you."  
  
Duo's violet eyes grew clouded. "That's all you saw." It was a state-  
ment, not a question. "A dust cloud."  
  
"It could have been."  
  
Standing still for a moment, then nodding his thanks to Diana, he   
turned and walked stiffly down where he came, ignoring the concerned looks   
both Diana and Artemis were giving him.   
  
  
End part 2.  
  
  
  
1. I REALLY hope that everyone figured the name joke out by now. Both Diana  
and Artemis are names (Greek or Roman) that mean Goddess of the Moon. 'Delos'  
is the island where Artemis and Apollo were born, keeping them safe from   
Hera, Queen of the Gods. 


	3. part 3

Started: January 23, 2001  
Finished: January 24, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: *opens door* Babysitter here! Writers, directors, copywriters and   
everyone else can take a break now! I'll take gooooood care of the G-boys for  
you guys... Go on, scoot. Have some fun today and don't come back till I'm   
done.... *cackles*  
  
1+2/2+1. Faint at the moment, but it'll grow stronger.  
  
Feedback... must have... feedback!  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 3  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
There was a long shriek of terror.  
  
Duo Maxwell did nothing but pull his cap lower on his face, trying to  
hide his ears in the thin, velvet material. It was the middle of the day, two  
days after he had heard the first shriek.   
  
Walking stiffly, he tried to ignore the pleas for help and the sounds   
of beating wings. Wings. Bat-like wings.   
  
Pushing his way through the slight crowd Duo wondered once more if he  
was crazy. No one else could hear the screams. Even when he was walking right  
now, able to see the shadows of the creature not five feet away from him,   
there was no one who even looked up or pretended that they had noticed.  
  
The first time he had tried to tell the other Gundam pilots about what  
he saw, they had thought him crazy. Had given him this mission off, saying  
that he needed the rest anyway.   
  
Luckily, they *could* do that this time. Their current mission was to  
attack an OZ base not five miles from the school. But this attack had to be  
made from the inside. Someone hacking in to the OZ computers two times a   
week to upload bits of a large virus until it was spread into the entire  
system. Then blow the base up. Easy come, easy go.  
  
The next shriek made Duo wince and hold his breath as he felt the   
cloud of black dust blow over him. He never breathed in that dust.   
  
Feeling the next wind picking up and brushing over him, he finally   
released the breath that he had been holding. That was the second time   
today. Ever since two days ago, he had seen those winged creatures go down  
and turn into dust, blowing over him each and every time.  
  
He was walking to the Delos's party. Usually, he would be walking with  
Heero, fussing over the other pilot's appearance, nagging until Heero could   
take it no more and agreed to allow Duo to dress him up.  
  
He smiled grimmly to himself, still walking. But two days ago, the   
others had just started to give him a little room. All except Heero, that is.  
Wing's pilot now sneaked concerned glances to Duo all the time, not caring   
if he saw or not.   
  
Although Duo was very pleased with the fact that Heero now longer felt  
like sneaking looks at him (now the other pilot was very open with the   
looking), he wished it could have been under better circumstances. There was  
just something unnerving about the situation, and Duo hoped that Heero could  
finish uploading the virus soon. He didn't want to stay here.   
  
He kicked a pebble on the road, following the tiny stone with his   
eyes. As the stone was run over by a oncoming car, Duo looked up to see   
plenty of parents dropping their children off near the large house, almost   
as big as one of Quatre's mansions.  
  
He watched silently as Pandora Delos greeted the children at the door,  
inviting them in without dely and charming the parents. Mrs. Delos had   
always insisted that everyone, even her own children, called her Pandora.   
She didn't want to be called Mrs. at all, even though she sure looked the  
part of a warm and welcoming mother.  
  
Moving his violet eyes around the house, he memorized all the windows  
and door accesiable from the outside, and how the house looked from where   
he was. If someone wanted to get in, how they would be able to and how long  
that would take them.  
  
Shaking his head afterwards, Duo mentally chidded himself for hanging  
around Heero for too long. Although the information was useful, Duo doubted  
that he would have to remember the escape routes to a party that he was   
attending. It was ridiculous.  
  
Glancing both ways down the street, Duo stode across, his picture of   
gloom slowly transforming to his usual grin. It took a moment before Pandora  
actually noticed the smirking teen watching her sweet-talking the adults.   
She gave him a grin that Duo happily returned and excused herself from the  
conversation.  
  
"Well, hello young man."   
  
Duo maintained his smile as he watched Pandora walk up to him, wiping  
her hands on her apron. She was small, but had big bones, making her look   
touch enough to take on the hardest delinquents.  
  
"I see you've caught me bribing the adults for their children's time.  
I think I remember Artemis talking about you. You're Duo Maxwell, aren't   
you?"  
  
Duo did a mock bow for her. "The one and only, ma'am."  
  
She scowled. "I'm not 'ma'am'. Just because I'm physically older than  
the rest of you youngin' doesn't mean I am mentally." she winked and tapped  
her temple. "It's just Pandora. Just like you call all the people in your   
school."  
  
"Yes, Pandora, ma'am." Duo said cheekily.  
  
"I see I can't get away with that around you," sighed Pandora. "Where  
are *your* parents, Duo? Maybe I can persuade them to let my daughters   
borrow some more of your time..."  
  
Duo shifted. "I... I'm here with my friends. I've always wanted to go   
to Rosehill High and since I had some friends going there... my parents   
sent me here to go with them." Well, it wasn't really a lie. Just a cover.  
  
Pandora looked worried for a moment, then smiled sunnily. "Well, then,  
I won't have to worry about stealing you away. Unless your friends are as   
strict as parents (which I hope not), you'll be able to attend the slumber   
party that Demeter and Selene are hosting."  
  
The Delos family was completely composed of women, except for Pandora's  
husband, who was usually away from home as a foriegn business man. Even the   
lady in charge, Leto, (mother of Demeter and Selene) was a widow. This made  
Duo sort of nervous.  
  
Duo grinned nervously. "Bad thing is, my friends are WORSE than my   
parents!" At least he thought that they would be...  
  
"Then we'll have to get your friends to stay too." Pandora waved the   
dismissal off. "Do come in... Diana has talked a bit about you and I'd like  
to see the boy she has a crush on." she winked.  
  
Crush? Him? Couldn't be... Diana knew practically the entire school...  
He was just a new kid. Must be some passing fancy. Nothing obvious, he   
hoped. He knew how possessive Heero could get with the things he wanted...  
  
"Probably just wants some advice on some other guy from me." Duo   
retorted back as they walked inside. He really didn't want to deal with   
Diana if she liked him that way.  
  
"Aa." Pandora said, not confirming nor denying. "We'll see."  
  
  
  
Duo made sure to stay in the shadows, yet not look suspicious as he   
approached the person standing by the punch bowl. There was a murmur of   
cloth as he pressed against the tablecloth, black clothes brushing in sharp  
contrast to the crisp white sheets. There was not even a stain if anyone   
had dropped food onto the whiteness.  
  
Making sure to blend in with his surroundings, (which was a hard thing  
to do considering that it was him) Duo grabbed a few snacks along the way.   
  
Seeing green eyes looking at him curiously, Duo put on a sheepish   
grin and pointed to the figure he was stalking. There was a flash of amuse-  
ment, then the eyes turned away.  
  
Figuring that he was safe now, Duo nodded to himself as he slowly   
slid through a couple who was flirting over the table. His target was   
straight ahead of him. Yes. Short, blonde, wearing a loose shirt with vest  
over it, and loose brown jeans.   
  
Just a few more feet...  
  
"Duo? What are you doing?"  
  
Duo eeped and whirled around, facing Quatre's confused blue-green eyes.  
He blinked, then turned his head to look at his target.  
  
Diana, whose back had been turned to him before, was how facing him   
with that same curious look that was in Quatre's eyes. She was wearing almost  
exactly the same as Quatre's usual attire, except with some words on the   
front of her shirt.  
  
And Quatre... Quatre was wearing a baggie tee, and knee-length shorts.  
Something that a casual teenage boy would wear.  
  
Looking back and forth from Quatre to Diana a few more times, Duo   
sweatdropped then laughed nervously.  
  
"Ahh... nothing, nothing! I'm just being me, that's all." He scratched  
the back of his head, all the while cursing himself for forgetting how   
similar the two who were staring at him looked.   
  
Trowa threw him an amused look- as amused as he ever looked- and went  
back to studying Quatre.  
  
Damned if he knew it, but Trowa had just pulled a prank on him! (for  
those who didn't catch that... *laughs weakly* just keep reading)  
  
"So," Duo changed the subject, trying to get his embarressed blush   
down. "When did you guys get here, anyway. I've been looking for you for the  
last two hours."  
  
Knowing that Duo was thoroughly red, Quatre decided to have pity on  
his friend and went with the switch of coversation, giving Diana a smile to  
let her know that he didn't want her evesdropping.  
  
She nodded at him and walked off to another table.  
  
"Well," said Quatre, "Wufei was really pissed with Artemis. You   
should have seen him yesterday. He stalked her around school to make her   
nervous, and did just that until Selene arrived at the scene."  
  
Duo winced a little, feeling sorry for Wufei.   
  
"You know Selene... she's way too protective of her cousins. I'm   
told that Wufei was finally humbled before a girl, but I don't believe it.  
I only think that Selene probably had every Senor girl backing her up before  
Wufei backed down. But because of that episode, he refused to come. Came up  
with some excuse about the dentist, but no one believes that. I guess it's  
alright, though, since no one expects him to come to this party anymore."  
  
"Oh." Duo thought for a moment. "What about Heero?" He just knew that  
his partner would think up even more creative ways to escape a party like  
this.  
  
"Strangely enough, Heero came without objecting." Quatre answered,   
sounding surprised himself. "He didn't say a word about going, but all of a  
sudden today, he just came. Trowa and I were the ones who followed him, not  
the other way around."  
  
Duo winced slightly. He hadn't really been in the best of moods this   
morning, and had left even before Heero had woken up, saying that he would   
take a walk before going to the party. He hadn't wanted the others to see  
him in a bad mood. He had been in enough of a bad mood the last week.  
  
Quatre noticed the wince. "Does this have to do with how you left with  
only a note this morning?"  
  
Duo heaved out a sigh and glanced behind him quickly to make sure   
of where he was before he leaned on the nearby wall. "I... I keep seeing   
them."  
  
Quatre's eyes widened.  
  
"They always appear. Maybe I *am* going crazy, because no one else   
even notices them. Heero and Diana said that they saw a black cloud blow by  
me. That it looked suspicious. But when I walk... I see them and there's   
people around. No one reacts. No one even sees a dust cloud."  
  
He ran a hand through his bangs. "If no one else will notice them,   
then maybe I'll just lock myself in my room soon so that I won't hear them."  
  
"Hear them?" Quatre questioned, concern flooding his voice. Although   
there was also a tone of doubt, he sounded sincere. "What do you mean, hear  
them. When you told us-"  
  
"I didn't say everything. They scream, they plead for help, they cry...  
I've seen six or seven of them in the past two days."  
  
"Why didn't you tell us?" There was a note of horror in his voice.  
  
"You guys won't believe me. You still think I'm crazy right now. But I  
just HAD to get out... I didn't want to hear them, but I was going crazy   
just listening to Heero typing on the laptop. But then, maybe I am."  
  
"I..." Quatre swallowed nervously, not looking the other boy in the   
eye. "I can sense that you're telling the truth... and I think that if you   
went crazy, you wouldn't be seeing things like that. Which means that there  
must be some explination for this. You should have told us about it!"  
  
"Sorry, then."  
  
There was no real apology in the tone. But Quatre shook that off. "You  
should really talk to Heero. He's one of the ones who saw the dust... maybe   
you can make sense of what he saw and you saw. Go over things. I have a   
feeling that you're not hallucinating, and that there's more to this than   
we think."  
  
"Tell Heero? Are you crazy? This has nothing to do with the mission!   
Why would be listen? Why would he want to go over this?"  
  
"Because I worry."  
  
Duo gaped at the distant shadow that had been watching them for some  
time already. Quatre saw this and quietly excused himself, eyeing the two   
to make sure that no one would start fighting and also to make sure that   
there was no one around who would be listening in on them.  
  
Heero watched Duo wearily. "You've been acting strange."  
  
"Oh, great." Duo replied sarcastically. "I thought you say I'm always  
strange. Now you're worried because I'm acting strange? Sorry if being moody  
is acting strange."  
  
Heero took a step out of the shadows. "You don't... laugh anymore."  
  
Duo flinched.  
  
"You won't..." Wing's pilot was visibly struggling with his words.   
"Talk to me... about it."  
  
Seeing that this conversation was about to turn drastic, Duo took   
the easy way out. "Hey, look, man- I thought you didn't want me to talk,   
'kay? Next time I'll just-"  
  
Another step and Heero reached out to grap the hand that Duo had put  
behind him to feel along the wall. "Why?"  
  
Duo sputtered, feeling his blood rushing in his ears. "What?"  
  
Prussian eyes bore into his. "Why?"  
  
"I don't understand. Why what?"  
  
"You don't talk to me. You used to."  
  
Violet eyes softened just a bit. "Heero, I-"  
  
And then everything went to hell.  
  
  
  
All of a sudden, all the windows in the house shattered into bits.   
There were screams erupting as people who were standing too close to the   
glass was attacking with flying scaple and shards.   
  
Duo watched dumbly as people paniced around him, not yet understanding  
what had happened.  
  
Heero cursed suddenly, and tightened the grip he had on Duo's hand.   
Giving a rough tug, he jerked Duo out of the daze he was in and pulled him   
along towards one of the larger windows. It was logical. Get out from the   
house through one of the broken windows instead of the doors (since everyone  
else was running for the doors).  
  
Duo allowed himself to be pulled along, sighing mentally as he realized  
that the moment had been ruined. He had come sooo close to telling Heero.  
Guess he'd just have to wait for another moment. It really was a shame. The  
party was just starting to perk up.   
  
Suddenly Heero dropped to the ground, taking Duo down with him by  
the hand.   
  
"What the-?! Heero!"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Duo clamped his mouth shut at the tone. Usually he ignored the other's  
boy, but Heero had that tone only when they were in a mission or in danger.   
  
So he lowered his voice. "What the hell are you doing?!"  
  
"Look."  
  
Following Heero's gaze, Duo went into shock when he saw the creatures   
with wings- the ones had had heard in pain for so long, fly through the   
broken windows and letting out screams of anger instead of terror. There were  
dozens of them, each flying through the broken windows, coming in from all   
directions.  
  
"You can see them?!"  
  
Heero set his jaw grimmly, not answering him. Duo could almost imagine  
that he could see the wheels turning in Heero's head.  
  
After a moment, Heero finally said, "They won't let us out."  
  
  
  
End part 3.  
  
  
Hey, if it's interesting, tell me. I really, really hope that it is. But   
maybe it's just me, but I think that I'm going waaaay too fast with this   
story. I'm worry, I'm getting major mood swings these days... finals next   
week. I try not to write my moods swings into my stories, but that usually  
doesn't work. Please tell me what I did wrong here!  
  
Oh, and Alycilos(my muse)... *pokes* You know I hate you, don't you?  
  
*Alycilos smiles slyly and waves* 


	4. part 4

Started: January 25, 2001  
Finished: January 26, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: I'm babysitting the G-boys. Gawd... it's so much more fun than   
babysitting my cousin or brother... *wince* Or at least, it will be. But   
anyway, don't worry! I'm not going to kidnap any of them, I'm just baby-  
sitting them for the "offical" people. Yup. That's right.  
  
1+2/2+1. Tiny bit, hopefully more in the future.  
  
*pouts* Feedback? Please?  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 4  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
"They won't let us out."  
  
Heero Yuy, the Perfect Soldier, was under stress. Serious stress. One   
reason was because he was trapped in a house that was being invaded (and   
this was how he saw it) by black clouds of dust that possessed some form of  
intelligence, and the second stronger reason was because the boy he had   
besides him saw something other than black dust.   
  
He saw creatures in the clouds of black.  
  
But try as he might, Heero could not make out any forms in those black   
dust clouds. He could see right through the cloud, could see how thick it   
was and that it would probably choke someone if the person's lungs were   
filled with that thing. He could see that it was a danger.  
  
But... no winged creatures.  
  
"Even if they won't let us out," Duo supplied evenly, "We've got to   
give the others time to get out."  
  
"Ryoukai."  
  
There was a low hum in Heero's ears for a moment, and he saw Duo wince  
out of the corner of his eyes. The self-proclaimed Shinigami must be hearing  
and seeing things that were different than what Heero was seeing.   
  
He tangled his fingers with Duo's boldly, hoping that the other boy  
wouldn't pull away.  
  
He didn't. In fact, Duo only tightened the grasp as his eyes survayed  
the situation. There was a warm feeling that almost made Heero smile, but   
it was heavy stomped upon before it actually whispered itself to his   
facial muscles. This was no time for other thoughts.   
  
"They're everywhere." Duo said miserably. His violet eyes tracked   
the movements of the dust clouds. "It's almost as if... they've been   
brainwashed or something."  
  
Heero ignored that statement. His first concern was innocents... until  
he saw Quatre and Trowa silently herding the crowds in one direction, Quatre  
looking very pale.  
  
"We've got to allow Quatre and Trowa room to work." Duo pointed out.   
"But how can we distract those things?"  
  
Heero narrowed his eyes, his vision darting from one point to another.  
Duo was right. How could they distract those black things? Hmm... a vaccum  
sure sounded nice at the moment.   
  
Duo watched in horror as one of the girls at the party went the wrong   
way and dropped lifelessly to the ground as the winged creatures got a hold  
of her. Man! All those things had to do was touch her!  
  
It seemed as Heero had also seen it, for he snarled and dropped Duo's  
hand in search for something that could be used as a weapon. But unless food  
and glass could be used as a weapon, (which Duo seriously doubted) they were  
at a loss there.   
  
But of course, with Heero, there was always a weapon. If there wasn't  
anything he could use in the area- improvise.  
  
Pulling out a gun from the back of- (spandex-space? I donno... *eyes   
bug out*), he ignored how the other kids just screamed louder at the sight  
and shot one of the dust clouds. Once. Twice. Three times.   
  
There was no change. The bullets went straight through and embedded   
themselves onto the wall behind.   
  
By now, the boys were pretty sure they were dealing with something   
that wasn't scientific. This would be their first enounter with the super-  
natural.  
  
By now half the children at the party were outside and running about  
wildly. Yet the half that was still inside were in full-blown panic, one   
which was making themselves targets.   
  
Heero narrowed his eyes as a boy ran across his point of range, and   
then an entire group of people. Either they hadn't seen that he had a gun,   
which was unlikely due to how loud it had been when he fired it, or they   
were extremely stupid.   
  
Then he slowly lowered his gun. He wouldn't be one to hurt civilians.  
Especially not children. The bullets had no effect on the creature anyway.  
  
Suddenly Duo yelled for him to get down and he dropped, watching in   
dumb facination as one of the clouds disbust into the air and drifted away.  
There was a stick lying on the ground next to the once-cloud.  
  
Feeling fingers on his arm, Heero quickly pulled away and rolled,   
knowing that he couldn't have the other kids blocking his view now. How the  
hell did that happen?  
  
Stopping when he heard his name being shouted, Heero looked uo to Duo  
as the other boy carefully took apart a small model mission, made of sticks.   
Duo picked a long stick and threw it at one of the clouds, right in the   
middle and disbursting that cloud to dust.   
  
Was wood how to stop those creatures?  
  
After seeing that those clouds had a weakness, Heero discovered some-  
thing seriously wrong with the picture.   
  
There was no more sound around them as the other children had all   
dropped to the floor in a deep unconciousness.   
  
  
  
"Shit! Shitshitshitshitshitshitshit!"  
  
Duo grimaced as he quickly ran out of the dark wooden sticks, and   
didn't run out of enemies. It was strange to see, but he had once tried   
using the same stick twice. It didn't work. Once the stick went through one  
of the winged creatures, it turned a complete white.   
  
_I really need help here..._ he thought desperately. _Those creatures  
didn't even touch the other kids! What happened?!_  
  
He spared but a glance to the kids were all knocked out where they   
were. That included Quatre and Trowa.   
  
Thankfully, (and he hated himself for thinking this) Heero was still   
with him, even as they were back-to-back surrounded by those creatures. All   
options had run out, and the creatures that were circling was closing in,   
almost shark-like.  
  
_Please..._ Duo gripped his cross tightly, cursing himself as he didn't  
bring his gun, even though he knew it wouldn't work. He just needed to feel  
that he had some sort of weapon on him. _Shouldn't my cross work with the   
super-natural? Those creatures are like vampires.. killed only with wood._  
  
"Duo."  
  
Duo only grunted in response to his partner.  
  
"Don't give up, Duo. We're not done yet."  
  
Duo almost laughed. It was usually him encouraging others, not the   
other way around. Especially not with Heero.  
  
He felt Heero's hard grasping his again, and smile despite himself.   
Yeah. They weren't going to go down that easy.  
  
There was an inhuman (but musical) sound of anger as Duo tried to   
change at one of those creatures. Something heavy and black shoved Duo back  
as he was within inches of his tearing the winged creature apart with his  
hands.   
  
"Duo!"   
  
Duo fell to the ground hard, but sat up almost immediantly, one hand  
clutching his head as the world refused to stop moving.  
  
"What the hell-?!"  
  
Before him stood a small black mare, (with wings!!!) snorting at the   
other winged creatures and looking mad as Hell. There was a long black   
horn on the mare's forehead, reminding Duo of the old legends of unicorns.  
  
The black mare tossed her head in the air, aiming the horn frightfully  
close to the other winged humans. The strange thing was, though, that those   
winged creatures *were* backing away. Yet they didn't look like they were   
backing away out of fright. They looked more angry than frightened.   
  
Duo felt Heero help him up before he realized what the winged creatures  
were going to do, "Look out!"  
  
There was no need to warn the strange unicorn standing before him. As  
the first wave of those creatures attacked, the mare was up and at them,   
prancing on her rear legs before impaling her horn though the first of them.  
Again and again she did that, movements quick and angry as she killed the   
creatures with much more effectiveness than the sticks that Duo threw did.   
But even if she was able to kill them neatly- it didn't mean that she was   
that fast. Already the creatures were surrounding them again, this time   
aiming their harm at the mythical creature.  
  
"They're going to kill her," Duo said in horror as his mind still  
raced at lightning speed trying to figure out how that horse like creature  
was so familiar. There was a haze blocking the information in his mind,   
though. He turned his head slightly to look at Heero, wondering if the other  
boy could see the alicorn.  
  
The wide, grim look in Heero's eyes confirmed it.   
  
"We've got to *do* something." Duo said, stronger this time. Taking a  
moment to catch his breath, Duo shook himself free from Heero's embrace and  
stepping forward to try and stop those creatures.  
  
"Wait."  
  
Duo looked back at Heero.  
  
"We might just be getting in the way." Heero's mouth was set in a grim  
line, betraying no emotion other than the acknowladgement at their situation.  
"Look for something to attack with, and then do so when the things turn   
dire."  
  
Duo calmed down just a little. "We have nothing to attack with,   
though...."  
  
"Which is why I stopped you."  
  
Duo watched as the black mare killed off the winged creatures in   
the house, glancing at the fallen figures of his friends every few seconds.  
"We've gotta help." He whispered once again desperately, but made no move.  
  
There was a hard mental scream as a long, bloody scratch appeared on   
the alicorn's flank. Duo winced as he saw that, wanting very much to help  
but not knowing what he could do other than being a burden.   
  
"Those sticks," he muttered. "Why are those being killed by sticks?   
And an alicorn's horn? What's so special about the both of them?" Well,   
vampires were killed by wood. Did that count? But then, there was never any  
alicorns in vampire stories. So assuming that wood killed those entities...  
  
Glancing around nervously, Duo dimmly noted that Heero still had a grip  
on his arm to prevent him from doing anything stupid.  
  
"Wood," he said to Heero, not caring if the other boy understood or   
not. "Maybe we can help if we have wood."  
  
Heero nodded, and released the grip on his arm. But before Duo could   
actually do anything, Heero gestured, "Stay here." And with that, he jogged  
towards the closest piece of furniture, which was an overturned chair. Good  
thing big houses often had wooden furniture. It would be bad if there was   
nothing but metal and wood all around.   
  
Breaking a leg of the chair easily, Heero beckoned Duo over. Then he   
broke the leg into smaller bits, so that they would have more projectiles.   
"There should enough here to take out the rest."  
  
Duo nodded, and fingered the broken wood. There were many splinters   
now that it had been ripped apart, but he thought it was for the better as it  
just might take out something if he missed his intended target. Watching as  
Heero quickly disposed of the chair, he aimed the piece of wood at the   
shadowy mass and threw.  
  
Heero did the same from where he was, and the two reached back for more  
wood as their targets stayed true.   
  
  
  
It wasn't hard to get those shadowy creatures running off. Or the   
correct term would be flying off. Either way, it didn't take long.   
  
After a few hours of restoring the peace and order once everyone   
woke up, the guys were finally home, Quatre reviewing the story to Wufei the  
best he could. Of course, considering that he was out for most of the   
important moments, it didn't really amount to anything.   
  
Not that Duo was going to tell anyone about the alicorn. He found it   
a relief that Heero had seen her, which meant he didn't have to hide form   
Heero. But OTHER than that... he didn't want to talk about it at the moment.  
  
Leaning on the window facing the approaching sunset, Duo contemplated  
on what happened. Then he smirked. Oh, he remembered this position last   
week now, when he had been brooding and sulking. Only it had been raining.  
Now, he supposed, he was allowed to keep those memories, instead of having   
them slipping off into the sand(1).   
  
The others were all downstairs, Heero having told Duo that he wouldn't  
say anything the other boy didn't say. Somehow the soldier had realized the  
alicorn had been something private, and he was just glad enough to know of  
her presense.  
  
(flashback)  
  
Duo took a swing at the last of the shadowy creatures, gritting his   
teeth and holding his breath as thick black dust blew past him. It had been  
easy once those creatures realized that all three were armed. Well, somewhat  
armed anyway.   
  
Blowing a deep breath to try and shake the dust from his bangs, Duo   
decided that he would be having a loooooong shower once he got back. This   
was really stupid, killing one of those creatures and getting blasts of   
dust from where he stood. Why couldn't they just spurt blood or something?   
On second thought, maybe the dust was better.  
  
He fought back a griamce as he thought about those creatures exploring  
in blood instead. Not a pretty picture. One that he didn't want to see or  
know about.  
  
Dropping the pure white stick, Duo tilted his head to meet the stare  
the alicorn was giving him.   
  
If felt Heero coming up behind him as he stared into the sad, liquid  
eyes. The shine of the horn was dimmed by the layers of dust, which was also  
sticking to the dark mane of hair. There were two large wings folded onto   
the back, and Duo swallowed as the alicorn walked up close to him.   
  
Stopping barely a foot away, the alicorn tilted her head expectantly,  
and continued to stare at him.   
  
Duo cringed back a little. He knew that the alicorn meant no harm,  
but after seeing it endlessly kill those shadowy beings, the kindly image   
was replaced by one that screamed, "Danger!"  
  
Seeing Duo take a step back, the alicorn bowed her head a little, not  
moving foreward yet not backing off. She looked at him with liquid back eyes  
through the dark lashes, making some part of Duo feel guilty for feeling   
so... precautious.   
  
He turned his head back to glance at Heero questionably, wondering   
what opinion his partner would harbor of the mythical creature.  
  
Heero had a scowl on his face, but there was a glint of concern in   
those blue depths of his. Seeing the questioning look, he shook his head   
slightly, indicating that this was Duo's decision.   
  
Giving in to a quick sigh, Duo reached out a hand and rested it on   
the alicorn's flank.   
  
  
  
End part 4  
  
1. Sands. Of time? Y'know....? Yeah.  
  
  
Okay, *rubs eyes wearily* It's seven in the morning, and I REALLY need to get  
to school... damn Alycilos made me wake up at five in the morning to continue  
since I had a Bug on me yesterday. Damn Bug... I was on a roll, too...  
Oh, this is what happens when I stop writing whenever a Ranma or Kamikaze   
Kaitou Jeanne song starts playing. I loose my train of thought VERY easily. 


	5. part 5

Started: January 30, 2001  
Finished: February 9, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: God, I feel like I'm babysitting the boys everyday. Wait. *stops*  
I AM babysitting them everyday! Oh.. I've better stop for a while after   
this, then, cause I've still got others to babysit. But anyway, I'm only  
the babysitter. They're not mine, I'm just taking care of them.  
  
1+2/2+1... not very obvious at the moment.  
  
*crawls along* Feed.... back!  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 5  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
NightMare felt the hand rest tentatively on her flank and whinned   
softly, pushing into the hand and rubbing against it. Her charge would   
soon remember her, but she didn't want him to feel guilty that he had for-  
getten her. He would feel guilty, she knew that.   
  
Duo pulled back his hand slightly in shock when the alicorn rubbed up  
against him, but did not completely pull away. There was a very familiar   
feeling about the creature that told him she would not hurt him.   
  
Slowly running a hand down the black fur, Duo stared at the animal.   
"Who are you?" He said simply.  
  
NightMare didn't answer, but tossed her head slightly to indicate the   
people that were still in the building.  
  
Heero's eyes flickered at the movement, and saw some of the people that  
had been under the shadow one's spell start to awake. He glared at the   
alicorn as if them falling unconcious had been her fault. "What are you and  
why did you help us?" He asked flatly.  
  
^Because.^  
  
Both boys startled for a moment, eyes widening at the voice.  
  
^Because you needed help against the Dark Ones.^  
  
"What Dark Ones?" Heero pressed.  
  
The alicorn gave another look to the slowly wakening people and pressed  
into Duo's touch again. Duo's expression remained the same as Heero's as the  
alicorn didn't answer for a moment.  
  
^The ones that you had been fighting... they were taken over by the   
Dark Ones.^  
  
"I don't understand." said Duo.  
  
^Then I will explain it... but later. I cannot remain here while there  
are too many who can see me.^  
  
With that, NightMare gave one last nuzzle to Duo's hand and spread her   
wings, backing up a few paces to gallop in the room. She took two steps   
before flapping those great wings of hers, and disappeared.   
  
Heero's eyes narrowed as he saw the display, and he pulled Duo back   
as the other boy tried to step forward, to try to understand what had just   
happened.  
  
It was then that Quatre woke up.  
  
  
  
"You know something."  
  
Duo blinked, then straightened as he turned from his window seat. Heero  
was sitting on his bed, Prussian eyes accusing as he watched the pilot of   
DeathScythe carefully.  
  
"What makes you think that?" Duo countered, his voice sharper than he   
had intended it to be. Heero's eyes took on an edge as he heard Duo's tone,   
and he growled softly.   
  
"That horse. She was familiar with you."  
  
Duo turned back towards the window. "Maybe she was."  
  
"...."  
  
The long-haired pilot leaned the top of his head against the glass,   
closing his eyes and smiling slightly. "I don't suppose you believe that   
someone has been looking out for you all your life."  
  
Heero frowned at the statement. What did that have to do with anything?  
It wasn't as if there were much people who even knew that they existed,   
much less have those who watched out for them. Of course no one had been   
looking out for him. Who would do such a think anyway? Especially for a   
Gundam pilot?  
  
The smile grew yet the eyes did not open. "I still don't believe that  
perhaps she had been there for me all my life. All I know is that I've seen  
her before. Sometime early in my life... I saw a black alicorn and that   
image got lost in my memories."  
  
Heero looked at Duo curiously, wondering how Duo had enountered the   
alicorn he was talking about. Had something like this happened before? Was   
that why he could see things that other people could not? His mind refused   
to accept the concept that things like that existed, yet he worked his way  
around that and focused on the problem at hand.  
  
"No, I don't know her." Duo spoke. "I don't know anything about   
what's going on except for the fact that I seem to see something different   
than you do."  
  
Heero clenched his jaw unconciously. "Quatre was talking about that."  
  
"Oh?" Duo asked, disinterested.  
  
"He saw it too."  
  
Duo opened his eyes slowly, looking at Heero gravely. "He did, did he?"  
There was something about Duo's posture that radiated tension and weariness.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Duo sighed and shifted his position. "I take it he wants to talk to me,  
right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The long-haired boy peered at his partner. There sober atmosphere was   
destroyed instantly when a mischivous sparkle appeared in his eyes. "Saaa,  
Heero," he said, a little of his usual cheer returning to him. "Is that all   
you can say? Really- you should talk more. It's unhealthy! But I guess you've  
been talking for more in the last few days than you have in the last weeks.   
I shouldn't be one to complain, should I? I guess you've improved a lot   
compaired to when I first met you. You must have been SILENT before this   
year!"  
  
Heero sensed how Duo turned to conversation around, but allowed him to  
as Duo dragged him downstairs to Quatre, talking all the while. It was just   
strange how Duo could change attitude within seconds. Uncanny.  
  
And Duo thought *Heero* was strange?  
  
Heero shook his head in mild amusement as Duo babbered on, switching   
subject within moments and litterally dragging him away.  
  
But then... this was Duo. He was already used to it.  
  
  
  
Quatre looked up from where he was sitting on the table. Wufei and   
Trowa were already there, with grim expressions on their faces. Heero had   
been there also just a moment ago, and had left to pull Duo from their room.  
  
Giving in to a few thoughts, Quatre first thought about how to   
apologize to Duo for not believing him. If only he had not seen those   
creatures with in his own eyes... he would have never believed them to have   
existed. But now... he wasn't sure what he thought now.   
  
Wufei was nursing a cup of tea on the other side of the table, mumbling  
about strange phenomenons under his breath. He looked as worried as Quatre   
felt, for once not caring if his thoughts showed on his face.   
  
Trowa, on the other hand, was the same as always. Quatre could not even  
begin to phantom what the other boy was thinking. He was sitting in a perfect  
posture worthy of Heero, and was sipping his coffee slowly.   
  
Meawhile....   
  
Quatre figetted nervously. Those creatures... they reminded him of the  
winged creatures that guarded the castle of Hades in Greek mythology. They   
were so dark... almost like shadows with wings. Except for the fact that   
maybe they had claws for hands and feet and a long rat's tail.   
  
If that was what Duo had been seening lately... well, it was a horrible  
sight. And to not have anyone, especially your closest friends, believe you  
when you needed them to..  
  
He looked up to see Duo bounce into the room with his usual cheer,   
dragging Heero behind him. He looked to be his usual cheerful self- didn't   
look like one to see what Quatre had seen today.   
  
"Hey Q-man! Whuzzup? Heero says you wanted to talk to me?" Letting go   
of his grasp on Heero, Duo grabbed the chair nearest to him (which happened   
to be the chair furthest to Quatre) and sat down. Heero took the seat next   
to him.   
  
Quatre took a moment to see how he could start the conversation up,   
giving Trowa enough time to offer Duo coffee, then saying, "I saw those   
creatures you were talking about today, Duo."  
  
Duo flashed Trowa a smile for the coffee, then took a sip, making a   
face at the bitterness. His violet eyes glanced up Quatre for a brief moment,  
before dropping back to his coffee. "I see."  
  
Quatre blinked. Well, that was not the comeback that he had expected.  
He continued on, "I'm very sorry for not believing you, Duo. The others are,   
also. I'm not going to try and convice you that what you said had been   
unbelieveable, because I know that you already figured that out for yourself.  
It's very hard to believe that there's such things running around."  
  
Duo gave a small smile. His eyes were unaffected by the words that   
Quatre had said, but there was an obvious struggle as to if he should tell   
his friends about the alicorn.   
  
No. Not yet.   
  
"That's alright, Quatre. I wouldn't believe you if you had told me. We  
were all raised on conditions that weren't the best. But we still have to   
make the best out of it, ne?"  
  
Quatre shifted, the somber attitude Duo was displaying really getting   
to him. The others were tense, not expecting any real conversing with Duo   
there to always lighten up the mood. But Duo made no such effort as of the   
moment, and Quatre was almost unsure as to how to proceed.  
  
"Heero says that you've been seeing those creatures for a while   
already. That you didn't tell us before because we wouldn't believe you."  
  
Duo turned and glared at Heero. "Yeah. You know, for a guy as quiet as  
Heero, you'd have thought that he wouldn't be such a bigmouth."  
  
Heero gave no indication that the glare bothered him, and even went as   
far as to returning the glare with one that was even harsher.  
  
"He spoke out of concern. These things are important. We were worried-"  
  
"I already know. I sounded like a madman when I had been ranting like  
that." The corners of his lips turned slightly higher. "Kinda like Wufei."  
  
"Kisama!" Wufei growled, glaring at Duo. "Can't you make a serious   
conversation for once?"  
  
"Oh? Like you being serious? I can do that... But then you'd yell at me  
for trying to shame and embarress you!" Duo said, then stuck his tongue out   
at Wufei for good measure.  
  
Wufei sputtered, then cursed at the American, pulling the serious   
conversation that they had going onto a war of name-calling and face-pulling.  
Well, Duo was making the faces anyway.  
  
Quatre opened his mouth to try and continue the conversation that he   
had started with Duo, but then realized that the others weren't listening   
anymore. The tension was already broken, and there was no chance at getting  
it back together at the moment.   
  
Just how did Duo manage to always do that? Of course, Wufei would be  
the first one distracted when it came to Duo (Quatre didn't understand why   
Wufei was so touchy about the things Duo said) and the others would soon   
follow to make sure that no serious fighting would break out.   
  
Settling himself back in his seat, Quatre waited for the arguement to   
get through. He would wait until later to talk to Duo. He could wait.  
  
  
  
"That's over a hundred in one week."  
  
General Trieze, leader of OZ, didn't blink as he looked over the   
casualties. One who looked at him might have thought that he didn't care   
about what was being said to him, but a deeper look would confirm a small   
amount of worry slipping though the blank expression.   
  
The dark, shadowy figure hopped from one foot to another. He was a   
young one, which was why he was there in the first place, but he really did  
want to get back home. This place was just so... different.  
  
"There's been sightings all over the world." the figure continued,   
somewhat nervously. "People are starting to get suspicious. Usually there's   
no more than one person in the area who saw, but with the appearances coming  
faster and faster, the ones with gifts can do nothing but watch."  
  
Trieze nodded, jaw tightening as he flipped over a paper to see more   
numbers and names on the back.   
  
"They're dying, Trieze-sama. Every single time. And if the gap gets   
any bigger..."  
  
"I know." Trieze put the papers down on his table. "You should go on  
home, young one." He eyed the person sadly. "I'll do what I can for you."  
  
The person jelted up, then cried, "Thank you! We knew that you would   
help us, Trieze-sama. I know you can stop those appearances!"  
  
Trieze offered a small smile as the young one retreated, thinking over  
the matter at hand. It was that he had friends who were there also. It was   
that those who appear did not deserve deaths like that.   
  
But from what he knew, there was only one thing that he could do to   
bring a stop to those deaths. One thing that he was not ready to do yet. But   
if it meant to stop those who do not deserve such fates, then he would halt   
the war for them. Just... a small break in battle until there was another   
way that could be found to prevent those killings.   
  
Because true death was nothing but an endless void that was nothing   
and everything at the same time. It was but horror and numbed senses that   
made you think that you were alive, but could not see nor feel. Could not   
phantom why those you loved put you in the ground and what was happening to  
you. There was nothing worse in the world than that.  
  
Giving into a deep sigh, he called Lady Une on the comm. Order a treaty  
and cease-fire as of the moment. He had things to attend to and could not   
afford to have battles following him where he went.  
  
Lady Une sounded deeply surprised and asked where he was going, and   
what he was going to be doing.  
  
"Helping out an old friend. Just... helping out an old friend."  
  
With that said, Trieze switched off the comm, and leaned heavily into  
the back of his chair. There was almost no one in this world that would be   
able to do what he wanted them to. Almost no one. But there, however, a few  
youths at a location he had not been able to find yet that could help him.   
Maybe. But perhaps even the Gundam pilots could not help him in this task.  
  
Who had any contacts with actual Angels, wayway?  
  
  
End part 5  
  
  
Man! I started this part before Finals, and then did not TOUCH my laptop for  
the duration of tests, and then went through a week of hell adjusting to my  
second semester classes. But no fear, Shammy has re-TURned!!! I might be   
going a little slower now due to more projects and reports from school...   
*grumble, grumble* But now I'm actually into this story 'cause I'm finally   
starting to _explain_ it. And no worries, more will be explained in part 6. 


	6. part 6

Started: February 11, 2001  
Finished: February 11, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: Yo! The babysit' it back in town! *runs in and makes sure to skid  
down the kitchen floor, scaring all the Maguanaucs away* Alright, all legal   
people and nannys out of the way. Shoo- enjoy your night out. I'll have the   
boys cleaned and in bed before ten. *grin* I can't guarentee that they'll go   
to _sleep_ at that time, though...  
  
1+2/2+1... weak here, but it'll be stronger in later parts.  
  
Comments! Criticism! Flames will be used for a campfire.  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 6  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
Trowa narrowed his eyes dangerously as he peered out the door. "What   
are you doing here?"  
  
The man outside with long, platnium blond hair glared back. "I need to  
talk with the rest of you. Are you all in one spot?"  
  
"That's not for you to know."  
  
Zechs Marquise stared long and hard at the pilot of Heavyarms. There   
was no further movement in the next few minutes as they engaged in a silent  
battle of wills.   
  
It was a while later that Zechs looked away, and gritted his teeth.   
"They've declared a cease-fire. I'm not your enemy right now."  
  
Trowa blinked. Of all the things he had expected the other man to say,  
that was not one of them. A cease-fire? Whatever for? OZ was clearly in the  
advantage at the moment.   
  
"How can I trust you?" he challenged.  
  
Zechs glared. "Turn on any information broadcasting channel and you'll  
hear it all over the news. General Trieze has called a temporary treaty to  
try and stop the various deaths around the world. *And out of it,* he didn't  
add.   
  
Trowa's eyes narrowed for a second, the closed the door on Zechs.  
  
The older man stood there patiently, knowing that he was in no danger   
because he had spoken the truth. Of course, he had to explain the the pilots  
why he was there, but he felt the small twinge that all the pilots had some  
form of power that enabled them to at least feel the disturbances around   
them. It shouldn't be too hard.  
  
The door of the small house opened again. Heero Yuy glared out of it.   
Zechs knew that they wouldn't let him in on the account that all the pilots   
might be discovered, considering that they didn't know everyone yet. He had   
known all along and had been prepared.   
  
"So talk." came the slightly nasal voice of the Wing pilot.  
  
Zechs's eyes narrowed. "I can't. Not out here."  
  
"Then leave."  
  
There was no hesitation in the voice, no clue as to what the Wing pilot  
might have been feeling at the moment.   
  
"I can't do that either." Zechs said slowly.   
  
"Yes, you can." With that, Heero pushed the door close.  
  
Zechs reached out and pushed the door back open, straining as hard as  
he could. He knew that if Heero wanted to, the boy could take him out very  
quickly.  
  
Heero narrowed his eyes slightly, but allowed Zechs to hold the door.  
  
"I know," the pilot of Epyon said gravely, "I know that some strange   
things have been going on in the past few days. Seeing strange shadows or   
dust-like cloud dropping down from the sky. Feeling like you're being   
watched, and never being able to pinpoint that presense."  
  
Heero showed no sign that he knew what Zechs was talking about.   
  
"I'm pretty sure that all of you know have felt something. Trieze knows  
what's wrong, and he's trying to fix it. That's why he called a cease-fire.   
But he needs help doing this, and you're the first ones to come in mind.  
  
"So, we all work together on this, and we go back to being enemies   
later when the war starts again." Zechs retorted.  
  
"No."  
  
A blink. "No?" Epyon's pilot felt the door start to close again and   
leaned on it with all his strength. "You haven't heard everything, Yuy!"  
  
Heero gave Zechs a hard glare. "I don't want to."  
  
"But you know something's wrong." Zechs countered. "You know what I   
say it true." Considering that he hadn't been able to get any reaction out  
of Pilot 01, he was grasping at straws. "Something has gone wrong, and if   
it isn't fixed soon, one of you could get hurt!"  
  
Suddenly Zechs fell in the house as the weight against the door was   
dropped. He tumbled to the floor with a slight grunt, and scrambled to his  
feet as soon as possible. This was rediculous. Falling in front of a Gundam  
pilot? Careless.  
  
Heero shut the door behind Zechs, and secured the locks, all of them  
rigged to blow at the slightest intrusion. Once Zechs was on his feet, Heero  
turned a cold look at him.   
  
"Follow me."  
  
Zechs walked behind Heero, who was silent even while looking like he   
was going to make a lot of noise. That damn boy was like a ghost. You   
couldn't hear him walking, couldn't hear him ever talk, couldn't even hear   
him breathe. It was scary, really.   
  
It wasn't long before they arrived in the living room, where Trowa had  
been talking quietly with the others, who were in rapt attention. Duo, of   
course, was asking insignificant questions, while Quatre was preventing a   
fight from breaking out between Duo and Wufei.   
  
As the two stood at the doorway of the living room, all coversation   
ceased. The other Gundam pilots barely gave Zechs a glance, but stared   
disbelievingly at Heero for letting the other man in.   
  
Heero took in all the curious glances and shrugged. There was a   
pregnant silence as he went over to sit next to Duo, and the rest of the   
pilots just took to staring at Zechs.   
  
Feeling that he had everyone's attention (He had meant to get it, but  
it was just too strange for him to realize that there were at least two   
dozen hidden weapons in the room that he couldn't see. After all, he could   
only sense about two on each pilot.), Zechs cleared his throat nervously and  
said, "General Kushenada has declared a cease-fire to take care of some   
things that has been a problem in the last week. I'm here to see if you   
could be perswaded," he winced slightly at his own choice of words, but   
continued on, "Into a temperary alliance that will last throughout the   
duration of the peace. There will be no mention of Gundams or anything else   
unless absolutely nesassary. The alliance will have no bonds after the peace  
is over. It is only what is nesassary to stop many deaths."  
  
"War itself is death, Marquise. What do you have to say about that?"   
The one he had least expected to reject the idea of an alliance was   
questioning his motives. Well, he shouldn't have expected any less from the   
leader of the Gundam pilots, should he?  
  
"War may be death." he admitted reluctantly, "But it is needed in order  
to help people see how precious peace is. The death I am talking about it   
death in vain, with no meaning whatsoever except that one day you die with-  
out any reason."  
  
"All deaths are without reason." Pilot 02 spoke up, violet eyes cold   
as he shrunk back into Heero. "No one can have a reason to die for the sake  
of war. Why should we trust you?"  
  
Ahh. This was what he had prepared himself for. "Because," he spoke   
without preamble. "You have seen those creatures die in front of your very   
eyes. You somehow know that those creatures did not deserve those deaths,   
from the way that they cry and beg for help. Yet they keeping coming, and   
they keep dying. There's no way that you can help them, so you just try to   
imaging all this and keep it in your mind, hoping that you're only going   
crazy and that what you see is not real."  
  
Right on the spot. The violet eyes widened and gazed over in   
rememberance, and Zechs was a bit surprised. He thought that pilot 04 would   
be the one to be hit with those words, which was why he had worded it that   
way. There was a reason why 04 was the leader.   
  
But the pilot of Sandrock was not unaffected. He visibly cringed in   
those words, just as Zechs knew he would.   
  
Surprisingly, it was pilot 05, the pilot of Shenlong, that spoke up in  
such a harsh tone against him. "You seem to know a lot about this. Why would  
you want our help if you know what to do? How do we know that you're not   
going to use whatever information you have gathered on us afterwards to   
defeat us?"  
  
Zechs looked over at Cheng slowly. His posture was relaxed and he   
leaned against the wall, almost smiling at the other pilots. "Because we   
have known your identities for some time now. You might not know that. We   
did not reveal your identities to the public or the rest of the battalions   
because it would be dishonorable. We fight as honorably as we can, and stop   
when we have an unfair advantage. Now you are questioning our word? You have   
no right to be doing so."  
  
Wufei's eyes had widened as he realized the truth in those words, but   
he growled softly at Zechs, looking like a taunt wire ready to snap at any   
moment.   
  
"Y-you know?"  
  
Zechs turned to look at the pilot of Sandrock. "Yes, Mr. Winner, we   
knew for a long time. We are not that oblivious to those around us. You are   
good, yes, but safehouses where you're all staying together is large and   
dangerous. It didn't take long to make the connections with five boys and   
either large spaces or a dense forest where they stay."  
  
"Us. You and Kushenada have been in this all along." The violet eyes   
stared at him evenly, making Zechs want to check over his reports again about  
the untamed and loud pilot 02.   
  
"We have. Now we need your help."  
  
Maxwell ignored what Zechs had said. "You want our help to try and stop  
those deaths that had been occurring? _Why_ do you need our help?"  
  
Zechs slumped, and he looked over at Quatre, raising an eyebrow. He   
waited for a nod before to made his way to a seat in the corner of the room,  
aware that all eyes in the room was following him.   
  
The tall, platinem-blonde man leaned back into the chair before taking  
a look at all the other pilots. "Because Trieze does not know why this is   
happening. There is much that you don't know about the situation, but we   
need all the help we could get into contacting the only people who would   
know why this is happening."  
  
"None of our informations is revealed after the treaty."  
  
Zechs looked at Heero calmly before nodding. "There will be nothing   
about you after the treaty. We work in an alliance, and that means we don't   
try and kill each other for the time being."  
  
"The terms?" Pilot 03 asked quietly.  
  
"What I said. Nothing more." he promised.   
  
"Clarify."  
  
Zechs resisted the urge to sigh. "An alliance for the duration of the   
cease-fire. We work together, no questions about Gundams and anything   
reguarding the war, and we forget all this happened afterwards. We go back   
to being who we were. No information found during the time will be used   
against us later."  
  
He stopped and watched the boys contemplate it warily. They seemed to   
be listening to see if he had more to say, but he didn't.   
  
There were a few looks interchanged during the exchanged, but after a   
few minutes of silence Quatre looked up.   
  
"Fine."  
  
  
  
"A few things you should know before you get started.  
  
"The reason this is happening is because of the war. But because this   
war cannot be stopped until one side wins, we have to find another way to   
stop these deaths. The first thing you should know is that those creatures   
aren't from this world."  
  
There was a quiet, "No shit, Sherlock," that was uttered from the   
audiance, but there were nothing but innocent (well, as innocent as they   
could get) expressions on the pilots' faces.   
  
Zechs cleared his throat before continuing, "There are three different  
Worlds and Barriers that we cannot pass through. In-between all the Worlds   
is a void that stretches out for infinity. Earth is the First World. Although  
we already know that there are many worlds and we have even colonized on   
a few of them, that's not what I'm talking about. Think of it all as   
dimensions."  
  
He spread the small marbles that Duo had played with on the dining   
table before them. There was a small piece of cardboard between all the   
marbles. There were three marbles that formed a triangle and the cardboard   
cut between it all.   
  
"This is Earth." He stated, pointing to the smallest blue marble that   
sure enough resembled what he was talking about. "There's a barrier between   
Earth and the next World. That barrier is Death." He pointed to the piece of  
cardboard that was between the blue marble and the next marble, a black one.  
"Beyond Death is Daejin. Daejin is the Demon World. It's where everyone who   
have suffered goes. Daejin is not evil, not like it sounds. It's just a place  
for people who cannot be redeemed because they refuse to see the light."   
  
Duo snickered at the pun, and Heero silenced him with a quick tug on   
the braid.   
  
"The people who go there are the ones who were insane while on Earth,   
or were ignorant to what they were doing. They live in happiness on Daejin   
trying to kill each other. But they won't die. That makes them happy, so   
that is where they live. Any person who has passed through Earth can choose   
to live in Daejin."  
  
He moved on the last marble, a white one. "The World furthest from   
Earth is Elysian. It is where the ones who can see what they have done and   
have repented for it goes. There, they are taken care of by the Guardian   
Angels. They watch the affairs and what goes on in Earth as they please,   
but they cannot interfere. The Guardian Angels are the ones who take care of  
everything that goes on in all three Worlds." He lifted his eyes to the   
stern gazes of the pilots. "We need to get a message there. In person."  
  
The gazes turned grim as they realized the meaning in those words. To   
get a message there, they had to pass Death.   
  
"But if it were that simple, perhaps we would have not needed your   
help." Zechs said, frustrated as he looked at his own model. "Death is easy  
to get through, especially when you know people on Daejin. BUT- we suspected  
the reason that the people on Daejin were dying was because of the Dark   
Ones." He pointed to the empty space between the three marbles.   
  
"They are the souls who saw through the barriers and went crazy because  
of it. Death is a dimension all by itself. The Dark Ones are not evil, but   
have lost all hope. The live in nothing, travel in nothing, until they   
believe that they are nothing. After they die, they become a shadow who sees  
this World as their playground, for they are set out to torment the souls   
that shine brightest. They bring the cousins to Destiny and Fate- Despair   
and Doubt. The brothers are dangerous when one is travelling through the   
Worlds.  
  
"Trieze suspects that it is the Dark Ones who are causing this, but   
he doesn't understand why the Angels are not doing anything about it. Perhaps  
they don't know about it. It's possible, however unlikely."  
  
"Why isn't it likely?" Wufei asked, grumbling a little to himself about  
the information that he had just recieved. "There's no such thing as an   
ominoxious being. They could have overlooked it."  
  
"They might have overlooked one or two. Ten or twenty even. But there's  
no way that Guardian Angels can overlook over a hundred souls disappearing   
in one week." Zechs's glare brought even Wufei down. "Something's going on,   
and we need to find out what."  
  
He peered closely at all five pilots. "Trieze was the first one to   
suspect that you would know something about this, and might be able to see   
what was going on. I'm sorry to have to reveal all this knowladge to you,   
but we need all the help we can get to stop this.   
  
"You see, dying in war is fine because you have passed though Death   
and now am living happily in either World. But when you die there- you   
disappear. Completely."  
  
  
End part 6  
  
  
Ahh! I finally got all that information out! But seriously, I'm really sorry  
about how slow this 1+2 thing is going. If I have any old readers in here,   
they'll know how horrible I am when it comes to relationships. I have an   
easier time writing action stories than stories with romance. But I try. ^_^  
Can't help it. I love 1+2!!! 


	7. part 7

Started: February 12, 2001  
Finished: February 13, 2001  
  
Disclaimers: The G-boys doesn't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them for   
this story. Legal guardians and all- I'm just babysitting the characters.   
It's the babysitter. ^_^ No one else. Don't worry 'bout lil' ol' me... ^^;;  
  
1+2/2+1. Not a lot. Barely any, actually. Wait till later.   
  
Comments! Feedback... onegai???????  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 7  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
"You see, dying in war is fine because you have passed though Death   
and now am living happily in either World. But when you die there- you   
disappear. Completely."  
  
Duo sucked in his breath silently. So there was actually life after   
war, then. Although he knew he shouldn't believe in such things, he couldn't   
help but hope. Besides, he had seen some very strange things that week. He   
could convince himself to believe in heaven and hell easily. Except, from   
what Zechs was saying, it wasn't actually hell but heaven both ways. As long   
as they're happy....  
  
"What's with the concept that we'll be happy after we die?" Duo asked  
sarcastically. "You make it seem like we should be eager to die."  
  
"You shouldn't," Zechs said, shooting Duo an annoyed look that said he   
didn't like to be interrupted. "But yes, it is much happier after death.   
You can choose what makes you happy, but Earth is a trial. Some would call   
living on Earth the true Hell, because no one seems to want to come back here   
even though they have a chance to anytime that they want to. Rebirth is for   
the brave ones who are not afraid of pain and death. Either that or they are  
so in love with someone else that they will do anything to try over again   
and maybe get a happier ending. Either way, there's no happy ending unless   
you will it to be one. You just keep going over and over again, while not   
making the same mistakes you made last time, but making new ones."  
  
"Thank you, Sherman," Duo murmured under his breath as he watched   
Zechs warily. "That makes us feel _so_ much better."  
  
Eypon's pilot frowned. "This isn't supposed to make you feel any   
better. This is to inform you so that you wouldn't be left out in the info-  
mation share. There could be critical moments when you need to understand   
this structure in order to get through a trial. Who knows what you could be   
going through. I certainly don't."  
  
Duo grumbled for a little bit more before settling a glance at Heero.   
There was something more going on behind his partner's stoic facade, that   
much he knew for sure. But what? Heero had reacted about the reincarnation   
bit quite a bit startingly.   
  
"What about alicorns?" Heero asked suddenly, startling not only Duo,   
but the rest of the audiance as well. "What is their involvement in this?"  
  
Zech quickly got over his startled expression. "Alicorns are rarely   
seen, although when they are seen, it would be in Elysian. They serve as   
replacement Guardian Angels, for the people whose Guadian has died already.   
They are rare and few in between, but they serve their cause and purpose   
even better than the actual Angels sometimes. It could be because they feel   
more, and therefore are easier to hurt. They might not have the powers that   
Angels have, but they have the ability to actually come to see their   
charges."  
  
"Charges?" Quatre questioned, almost hesitant to say the word, not   
really wanting to know what it meant.   
  
"The people that they are assigned to. Each person in this world has   
a Guardian Angel. But those Angels are few, and there cannot be enough Angels  
for all the people in this world. So sometimes where are replacements- the   
alicorns. Those who have alicorns to guide them are both blessed and cursed   
for they do not have the protection they should have when with a Guardian   
Angel. But they do have all the will to live- as much as an alicorn does.   
The alicorns would be the one to teach the child how to live, and when that  
child grows up, they would be the one to live by that alicorn's example.   
  
"Almost like having another parent along the way."  
  
"So what if you've seen an alicorn before?" Heero continued to   
question.   
  
Zechs stared at the youth the a short time. "Seen an alicorn? So what  
if you've seen an alicorn before? Should you consider them a threat? I   
don't think so. Be blessed that you've seen such a mythical creature, because  
they are usually very careful about who they let into their presense. It is   
because the whole world can see them that they are so careful. There used to   
be hunters who would hunt unicorns and kill them as sports. Now the unicorns   
are all but extinct. Alicorns have learned from that weakness. They will not   
be tempted into simple helping people. They must have a reason, and a strong   
one at that."  
  
Duo grit his teeth for a moment, now knowing exactly what Heero was   
asking about. The black alicorn at the Delos's party.... the one who had   
suddenly appeared to destroy the Dark Ones in their presense and then   
disappear as suddenly as she had come.   
  
"Alright, enough of this," Wufei spoke up. "Alicorns or not, we don't   
know a thing that's useful about them. We need to know how to get a message  
through the the Angels about the deaths of the Daejins. In order to do that,  
we have to pass through Death. That's not an option I hope to attain. So   
is there anything else that we can do?"  
  
"No." The simplicity of the answer gave a shocking effect. "The only   
way to figure out why those beings are dying are to directly as the Angels   
themselves. They are the ones who maintain what goes on, and they are the   
only ones who might be able to put a stop to this. The Dark Ones do not   
spare anyone. If there is anyone in this group who had never felt the   
presense of Despair and Doubt leaning over their shoulder before, then I   
would suggest that perhaps they _are_ a Guardian Angel in disguise."  
  
There were well-known looks passed throughout the group. In the hard   
lives that they had led, all of them had felt despair at one time or another.  
And with the lives they currantly led- well, they would be narcissic not to   
have felt doubt during the war. Doubt was something they needed to remind   
them to make sure and double-check. It wasn't always a bad thing.  
  
"I know what you're thinking," Zechs said. "Despair might fall in the   
catagory of 'bad', but Doubt keeps you on your toes. It's not always a bad   
thing to have doubt, but when in the Barriers in-between the worlds, Doubt   
is even worse than Despair because it will sooner tear you apart then let   
you through to the other World. You can NOT Doubt yourself in the worlds   
beyond, especially not in the Barriers. If you do, it'll be all the easier   
for you to fall into the Void. That's something you don't want to do."  
  
"If that's it, how the hell do you expect anyone to cross the barriers  
to get into Elysian, anyway?" Wufei groused. "Those Angels that you talk   
about- if you're the boss of the planes, then why would they not know about  
what's happening to those souls?"  
  
"That's what we're trying to figure out. The Angels should know about   
this, but they don't seem to. We have to have someone from the other World   
to guide someone through the Barrier. There's no way that any of us can   
pass through Death without being able to come back again for long."  
  
"Would an alicorn help guide?"   
  
Zechs glared at Duo. "A mythical creature? Well, yes, but unless you   
can somehow come up with one and make them stay as well as convice them to   
help you, I don't really see a possibility in that."  
  
Ahh. So an alicorn would be able to get the message through.  
  
Duo's eyes glazed over as he thought once again about the black   
creature that had helped him at the party, and he wondered what he had to   
do to convice her to help him.   
  
He really didn't want to use that alicorn as a way to get through   
Barriers. He really didn't.   
  
But then he would remembered the cries for help and the pleas for   
redemption if only they would be allowed another chance.   
  
And then he would shudder.  
  
  
  
The door opened to the large house in construction and eyes were   
narrowed suspiciously. The scene is almost exactly the same as before, only  
this time with different people and at a different place.   
  
"What do you want?" asked the voice of Diana Delos, glaring out at   
her visitor who was staring back at her calmly. "What is it this time?"  
  
Her visitor's coat completely covered him, almost obscuring who he was,  
except for the pale blue eyes that glared at her. "I need a message." He said  
quietly, not at all concerned about the way she was scowling about him.  
  
"We don't 'do' messages." Diana snapped, her hands still on the door.   
"You'll have to find someone else."  
  
"Wait."  
  
Before the door could close, the man already stepped in, heedless of   
the anger and wrath of the girl behind him. "There's been a problem. I need   
to get a message past the Barrier."  
  
"We already know that there's been a problem," the girl growled. "And   
we also know that you can get a message through the Barrier easily enough.   
Why come here to have us do the dirty work?"  
  
"Because I need to get a message to Elysian."  
  
The girl opened the door wider. "Get out. That's an impossible thing   
to do."  
  
Trieze turned to face the girl he had been talking to, and stared at   
her coldly. "You already know about what's been happening, yet you refuse   
to acknowladge it? Have the Delos's really grown that cold?"  
  
"Cold is not how to describe it." Diana said. "But we know when to   
back off because it is out of our league. Magic is not something to be toyed  
with so easily. Anything gone wrong and whatever message that you wanted will  
be intersected by the Void. Then they will go after the sender. When we're   
the ones who will be targetted. I can't let that happen."  
  
"You will risk the souls of everyone in Daejin to preserve your line?  
I have never known the Delos' to be that heartless."  
  
Diana winced. "It's not our line that we're trying to preserve."  
  
"But you've seen what happens. I bet that your house is in this   
condition because of what happened. Is that not correct?"  
  
Diana's wince grew visibily bigger. "Yes."  
  
"As in it is correct?"  
  
"That's none of your business."  
  
Trieze gave the girl a cold stare before heading out the door once   
again. "Think about it. When you change your mind, you know where to find   
me." With that, he left Diana well enough alone.  
  
  
  
"Any luck so far?"  
  
"No. The witches refuse to work with us. We'll have to find some other   
form of magic to help us through the Barrier."  
  
"The demons are more than ready to give their help-"  
  
"They can't reach Elysian no matter what they try. The only way to get  
through to the Angels is from their own World or with magic powerful enough  
to pierce through not only one, but two Barriers. The only magic strong   
enough to do so is the Greek Witches."  
  
"Aa."  
  
"...so have they agreed to help?"  
  
"Yes, actually. It didn't take much to convince them. Pilot 01's been  
asking about alicorns, though."  
  
"Has he? You don't suppose that he knows an alicorn?"  
  
"Heero Yuy?" There was a snort on the other line. "I doubt that. Those  
raised by alicorns are full of emotions, and feel too much. I wouldn't put   
it past pilot 04 to have seen an alicorn, though."  
  
"I see. I never expected them to help."  
  
"They will better our chances at getting through to the Angels."  
  
"Perhaps. We'll see, won't we?"  
  
"Aa. We'll see."  
  
*click*  
  
  
  
Wufei sighed heavily as Zechs left the room to make a phone call. Most  
of the other pilots had already left, with the single exception of Duo, who   
had said that he needed to talk to him.  
  
Duo was currently sulking at the table, not even trying to hide his   
bad mood. His thick bangs hid his eyes, making it seem more more like he was  
pouting at the table with his lips pearced so.   
  
Wufei was silent, waiting for the normally loud American pilot to start  
the conversation. He felt uncomfortable considering that he was going to   
actually have a serious conversation with Duo. Sure, Duo was his friend and   
they got along just well together (he considered their arguements like how   
normal people converse... ^^;;) and they both liked each other well enough,  
but having a serious conversation with Duo... well, he'd have to hold out   
on whatever insults that he had at the moment. Duo, too. He hoped that they   
could both do that.   
  
"Do you believe him, Wu-man?"  
  
Wait. Duo was looking up at him. Wufei stopped pacing and gave the   
DeathScythe pilot a strange look. "Believe him? He's speaking nonsense."  
  
There was a quiet, "Oh."  
  
Wufei sighed again and sat himself down across from Duo. "But then, I   
suppose I should with all that has been going on. I still don't know much   
about Guardian Angels, though." He gave a hoarse laugh. "If everyone has   
Guardian Angels, why is there this war in the first place? Why do people die  
the way they do? Why is there all this pain?"  
  
Meiran... she never believed in Guardian Angels, Wufei didn't add.   
  
Duo looked at his comrade warily, and then propped his head onto an   
elbow, twisting his arm in an unnatural angle that made Wufei wince looking   
at it(1). "I don't know... it would sure explain why Heero's so damn hard to  
kill." There was a familiar grin on his lips.   
  
Wufei snorted, relieved that Duo was actually behaving as he should be  
now. "Perhaps... what was that weird stuff Yuy was sprouting out eariler,   
anyway? Alicorns?"  
  
Duo swallowed nervously.   
  
"Zechs... well, we can't exactly say that we've been on the best of   
terms with him. I'm surprised they've kept so much from us." Wufei didn't   
need to point out who 'they' were. All five Gundam pilots were excellent at  
what they did, and had been able to go up against the biggest organization   
for a while. It was hard to be told that you were where you were at only   
because someone managed to spare you and give a blind eye to your weaknesses.  
  
"But do you believe what he said?" Duo pressed.  
  
Wufei hesitated, staring at the wooden table intently and running his   
eyes along the dim scratches of the table being recently used. "Do I believe  
what he said?" He echoed, almost numbly.   
  
After a minute, he looked into Duo's eyes, seeing a desperate need for  
an answer there. "Yes. Even if it goes against everything I believe and have  
been taught, yes. I'll question myself why later."  
  
Duo visibly relaxed, and he gave a sincere smile. "Thank you, Wufei.   
Your answer means a lot to me."  
  
Wufei nodded slowly, and made no move when Duo pushed himself away from  
the table, and stood, the chair scraping loudly against the smooth floor.   
  
"I guess we both believe in something that perhaps we both can't   
prove?"  
  
"Aa."  
  
There was a moment of silence between the two before Duo moved for   
the door.   
  
"Maxwell?"  
  
Duo paused. "Yeah?"  
  
"Do you believe in what he said? Really believe?"  
  
There was a small chuckle from where Duo was standing. Never turning   
to face his friend, he replied, "Yes." And left the room.  
  
Wufei watched his friend go, making no move to stop him.   
  
Liar.  
  
  
  
1.) I do that twisted elbow thing all the time when I write, and every time   
I do that, my friends make a choked gurgle in front of me. I find it really  
relaxing, though, like burying your face in the crook of your arm- only   
twisting the arm the other way to lift your head high enough so you can see  
what's on the table. That's a good thing when I write.   
  
  
End part 7.  
  
Okay, this is *not* turning into a 2+5. I really do like to think that Duo   
and Wufei are best friends, despite their differences. 1+2 part isn't here   
yet, although it's coming. ^_^ Grave writing, ne? This is what I get when I   
listen to Ginny Owens for too long. Don't get me wrong, I'm not Christian,   
but I just like her songs. Besides, I wrote half of this at 1 in the morning   
on a sleepover. It doesn't make sense because I don't make sense at a time   
like that. 


	8. part 8

Started: February 14, 2001  
Finished: February 14, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: Yes, yes, the babysitter is back in town. The copyright people   
should be thanking me... *a chibi-Duo runs past her, knocking Shammy off her   
feet and giggling as he did so. A growling chibi-Heero comes chasing after,   
tackling chibi-Duo to the ground and start a mock fight.* Oy! Cut it out, the  
two of you! H-Hey! Take that kind of play to the bedroom, okay? We've got an  
audiance!  
  
1+2/2+1. (Come on, you've got to know that already! And it's coming! ^_^)  
  
Comments, please! Want 1+2 faster? Maybe 1x2? Mail! (I have fluff! YaY!)  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 8  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
"Heero?"   
  
Heero hesitated in his typing to see one Duo Maxwell bounce into their  
room, full of unused energy as he practically pounced to look over his   
shoulder.   
  
Heero felt himself slightly recoil as Duo pushed his way over his   
shoulder, a hand on either side of him. Fortunately for him, all the   
information in his computer was encypted, although it wasn't as if he didn't   
trust Duo. It was just that Duo had a big mouth.  
  
Duo frowned as he stared in confusion at the computer screen. "Hey!   
What's the point of encypting this when I'm the only person besides to come  
into this room?" He finally realized he was leaning half his body on Heero,  
and blinked before quickly climbing off the other boy.   
  
Heero breathed out a breath he didn't know he had been holding when   
Duo did that. It wasn't that he didn't like Duo close, it was that sometimes   
he froze up when Duo was a little too close.   
  
"Well?" Duo demanded after several moments of silence.   
  
Heero blinked and looked carefully at his partner. Duo was wearing the   
exact same thing he always wore, a slightly modified priest's outfit, but   
this time it seemed- well, a little bit sloppier. Or it could the the wisps  
of hair that was slipping from the braid.   
  
Duo noticed what Heero was looking at and gave a sheepish grin. "I   
think I pissed Wufei off again."  
  
Heero raised and eyebrow after that, and gave a small smile that was   
barely noticable. Well, Duo noticed, anyway.  
  
"..Hey! Was that a smile I saw on ya?" Duo pressed, leaning close on   
Heero again, making the smile disappear. He tilted his head and peeeeered   
closely at his partner, before giving a wide grin. "Well, considering that   
Wuffie and I argue all the time, I donno why you're smiling about something   
like that."  
  
Heero only shook his head slightly. "What do you want, Duo?"  
  
Duo grinned again and backed up a bit, hopping onto his bed and softly  
bouncing once before settling down. "You remember when you asked Zechs about  
the alicorn?" He asked, cocking his head to one side.  
  
Heero nodded. It was three days ago when Zechs had barged in and told   
the Gundam pilots about the three Worlds and how something was wrong. Heero   
had asked for information on alicorns, since he had seen one at the Delos's   
party.   
  
"You were asking me if I knew anything on the alicorn you saw." Duo   
stated and leaned back, lifted up by his elbows yet still looking at Heero   
with the same smile on his lips.   
  
Heero's brow furrowed. "You said you don't know her."  
  
"I don't." Duo quickly put in. "At least... I don't personally know   
her. She only comes when I seem to need her, or when I'm emotionally   
distressed." His smile looked a little forced now and he shifted positions,  
sitting back further on the bed so he could have the space to pull his knees  
up to his chest and hug his legs.   
  
Heero was silent.   
  
"I remember a few weeks ago when I named her NightMare." Duo chuckled   
sloftly at that. "I said she was a mare that was as dark as the night. It   
suited until you realize the word being used when you put those two together.  
Kinda embarressing, really."  
  
There was another area of silence and Duo shifted again uncomfortably,  
not used to just sitting down. He had just told Heero.... "Maa, Heero. Why   
the long face?"   
  
Indeed Heero did seem a bit sad. Duo blinked in surprise when Heero   
actually pushed out of his chair and went to sit next to Duo.   
  
The bed bounced softly against the second body.   
  
Heero had placed his hands down on the bed and was now looking at them  
for a moment to organize his thoughts. "Zechs said... alicorns are replace-  
ments for Angels."  
  
Duo looked startled, but then relaxed. "Aa. But that doesn't change   
anything. If I had a choice, I think I'd choose NightMare anyway. I think it  
is better to know that someone's there to watch over you."  
  
Heero gave a soft snort. "Idiot. Of course."  
  
Duo grinned, he wasn't sure of Heero was calling him an idiot or him-  
self, but it really didn't matter.   
  
The Japanese boy turned to see Duo's grin, and his eyes softened   
considerably. "About your earlier question," he said softly. "I encypt every-  
thing I wrote not because I have you as a roommate. It's because I'm used to  
writing like that already."  
  
Duo's grin turned into a sincere smile. "I know. I was just asking to   
get a reaction out of you so I could start the conversation."  
  
Heero gave his head a firm shake, slightly amused. That would be   
typical Duo, all right. "Aa....t-thank you... for telling me about her."  
  
Duo laid his cheek on his knees, looking at Heero, his violet eyes   
betraying the emotions he was feeling. "You're welcome." He said simply,   
with more emotion in his voice than in his eyes. "I figured if I had to tell   
anyone, I would much rather tell you."  
  
Heero tried a small smile. "Tell me more?"  
  
Duo smiled back.   
  
  
  
"You guys have been gone from school for the past week! What happened?"  
Artemis was asking as she talked to Duo in between classes.   
  
They were shoving their way through crowds of students, intent on   
getting up the stairs against the mob of bodies that were going down. Why   
couldn't schools have larger facilities?  
  
"There was an emergancy," Duo said, twisting the words around in his   
head so that he wouldn't blurt anything out. It was hard not to lie outright.  
"My friends and I are really close- like family. Someone we knew came and   
asked for our help. We used the week going through how we could help this   
man." Hey, that was actually very close.  
  
Artemis yelped as a large roll backpack tried to cross over her foot.  
"Damn those people who are too lazy to carry their books, anyway!" then she   
turned her attention back on Duo. "You guys are really kind to this guy. Did  
you know him well?"  
  
Duo thought for a moment. "Well, sorta."  
  
"Well, that's nice of you," she said distantly. "We had someone come   
to our house for help, too. My sister wouldn't let us help."  
  
Duo faltered on the stairs. "Diana?!"  
  
Artemis nodded. "She may be very nice, but she's harsh on grudges.   
Never forgives a person for anyone they did until that person outrighttedly   
apologizes to her." she winced. "I learned that the hard way."  
  
By now, they were finally on top of the stairs, with barely anyone   
running about since the warning bell had gone off.   
  
"Ahh, man," she groaned as they approached their homeroom class.   
"World History's (1) a bitch, eh, Duo?"  
  
Duo only shook his head. "I really don't care about this class." He   
looked away slightly and murmured, "It's not as if we're going to be staying   
here long, anyway."  
  
"Ehh? What was that, Duo?"  
  
"Nothing. Nothing."  
  
  
  
Quatre figetted in his seat. He just couldn't be still, his Space   
Heart was warning him that something big was going to happen today. Not   
with school, like a bad grade, but more like an OZ attack or more of those   
shadowy creatures show up. Something bad.  
  
Wufei was sitting next to him, since they had this class together. He   
seemed to notice the blond Arabian's distress, for he turned and gave Quatre  
a curious look.   
  
Quatre only shook his head to Wufei's unasked question.   
  
"Mr. Winner? Mr. Chang? Do you have re-admit card for your absenses?"   
The teacher asked.   
  
Quatre and Wufei both passed up their alibi, and the teacher's eyebrow  
went up in question. She looked at the two pilots. "Family? You don't look   
much alike."  
  
"Our families were very close." Quatre lied. "We practically grew up   
with each other."  
  
She seemed to find that reason good enough and signed their cards,   
telling them to pass it on to their next teacher.   
  
So class started once again and Quatre found that he just couldn't   
keep still. OZ had called a cease-fire, right? That means something was   
wrong with the other Worlds...  
  
He begratted himself silently to even think about that. He still didn't  
completely believe in what Zechs had said, and he couldn't just start   
thinking that everything bad he feels will be because something is going on   
in the other Worlds.   
  
But he just had the strangest feeling...  
  
Raising his hand quickly, he apologized to the teacher but said that   
he didn't feel well and needed to use the restroom.  
  
Then, without waiting for permission, he barged out of the the room.  
  
  
  
"Duo? What are you doing out?"  
  
Duo whirled around, startled that someone had seen him staring out   
the second story window when he realized it was only Heero.   
  
Duo shrugged. "Artemis was questioning me about what happened. And it   
was homeroom. Two things I don't like very much. I had to get some fresh   
air." He gestured to the window.   
  
Heero moved up the join him, and they both leaned on the windowsill,   
their senses tuned to make sure that they weren't going to get caught by   
some passing janitor.   
  
"Why are you out?" Duo asked, "I thought you excelled at your classes  
and were the perfect student."  
  
Heero imitated Duo's response and shrugged. "There was no air in class.  
People were also asking me questions."  
  
"Aa. You too, huh?"  
  
"Hn."  
  
The two stood there for a while, just looking out the window at the  
falling leaves and the green grass.   
  
"This is really messed up," Duo whispered quietly, knowing that Heero  
would hear. "That we have to pretend to be normal students all the time...   
and carry around a job as Gundam pilots." He gave a small laugh that was   
only slightly hysterical. "Even when there's a cease-fire, we're going to be  
looking for Angels. Will we never get a break?"  
  
Heero hesitated, then said, "They were talking about the war in class."  
  
"Yeah." the response was small, and the comfortable mood before   
shattered. Duo closed his eyes and rested his head on the glass, leaning onto  
the windowsill. "All of them. Talking about how they hope the Gundam pilots   
weren't going to disturb the brief peace. The teacher let them."  
  
Heero was silent, watching the long-haired boy.   
  
"I keep having this battle with myself," Duo said. "I want to jump up   
and tell everyone that we're only fighting for peace, and we're not the evil   
monsters that they described. That our lives are very hard and that we   
bleed easily, unlike the immortal beasts the media portrays us as." He opened  
his eyes and looked up at Heero. "But I don't want to let anyone know that   
I'm a Gundam pilot not because of secrecy, but because I don't what anyone   
to know about this once the war really is done and over with. I don't want   
their pity, but I want them to understand. Is that selfish?"  
  
There was a pause as Heero really thought about it. He had a feeling   
he had to answer truthfully here, no matter what. "No. You only want them   
to understand what you're fighting for, but want to stay annomynous at the   
same time. The feeling is mutural."  
  
Duo blinked, then smiled at Heero. Somehow, it was always that Japanese  
boy who could get such a calm reaction out of him.   
  
"You don't have to take this on alone, you know." Heero said softly.   
"All of us have to face this, and none of us share the burden. But you don't  
have to."  
  
Duo offered a hesitant smile. "You don't have to either."  
  
Daringly, Heero lifted up a hand to brush the bangs out of Duo's eyes,  
and gave the other boy a slight smile. "I'm not."  
  
Duo smiled, and tilted his head slightly to the touch, eyes still   
locked on Heero. "That's good. Cause... well,"  
  
"Yeah?" Heero asked, leaning in a bit closer.   
  
"I was hoping-"  
  
  
  
Quatre streamed down the hall, feeling the need for fresh air and   
maybe some water splashed onto his face. He had a sick feeling at the pit   
of his stomach that something was wrong, and he really wanted to get rid   
of that feeling no matter what-  
  
As he turned the corner, he finally stopped in his tracks, his sick   
feeling temperary forgotten. There was Heero and Duo, both standing by the   
window, with Heero's hand on Duo's face and the former leaning in closer   
to the latter.   
  
Quatre immediantly turned red and looked away, but his feet refused to  
stay in place even as he turned his face away to the obviously private   
scene. But no matter what he did, he couldn't keep in the soft squick of   
surprise that escaped his lips.   
  
The two by the window immediantly seperated, fumbling before looking   
at Quatre, who, of course, was beet red.  
  
"What are you doing out, Quatre?" Duo squieked, then blinked, and   
calmed down again. "Shouldn't you be in class?" He asked in his normal voice  
this time.  
  
Quatre shook his head. "I was going to the restroom..." Then he   
realized something, "Shouldn't the two of you be in class?"  
  
Heero seemed to be sulking while Duo laughed nervously. "Well, kinda   
turned out that we both needed some fresh air. Don't mind us, we were just   
kinda stuffed in the classroom...."  
  
Quatre nodded, feeling very uncomfortable. "Well, um, if you don't   
need me here-" he mentally winced as he thought that he shouldn't *be* there   
in the first place... ruined a damn good mood for them, "I think I'll be   
going back to class." He spun around and quickly started to walk away.  
  
"Weren't you going to the restroom, Quatre?"  
  
"Oh! Yeah... uhh, yeah." With that, he spun around again and hurried   
past the two, face still flushed as he practically ran down the hall.   
  
Duo stared after his friend and shook his head slightly. "Weird."  
  
  
1.) In my school World History is for Sophmores, okay? Maybe not in the   
other schools, but I'm only taking Age of Chivalry right now... and that   
sucks enough that I know I'm not going to like World History next year.  
  
  
End part 8  
  
  
WOW!!! I need to go to school right now REALLY FAST... and I have a speech   
test for first period that I haven't looked over.... but I finished all this  
in the MORNING! Gee, I'm kinda hyper. That's a good thing, though, right?   
*winces as teacher glares at her* Anyway, gotta goooooo!!!! 


	9. part 9

Started: February 28, 2001  
Finished: February 28, 2001  
  
Disclaimers: Yes! *slams open door* I'm hooooome! *wince* I'm so sooooore!!!  
It is soooo not fun dancing with high heels. Of course, I went on the floor  
for 4 hours without the heels, then I was stupid enough to dance with them   
on in the last dance. Damn! I guess all that pain was worth seeing Heero and  
Duo do some *extremely* dirty dancing, though. ^_~ What I get as babysitter.  
  
1+2/2+1 Just a lil' stronger. ^_~ Because of part 8. AU, fantasy.  
Yes, I do think this is turning into an epic fic.. not what I expected.. ^^;;  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 9  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
Perhaps it was the talk with Heero that really got Duo into thinking.   
He hadn't seen any more of the Demons since they had talked with Zechs, but  
he was sure that it was only temporary. He had to stop those deaths somehow.   
Duo Maxwell was not going to let more innocents die if he could do something   
about it.   
  
And so here to was in the library, looking through books of mythical   
creatures or unicorns and dragons... shifting through the heavy albums and   
gently dusking the leather-bound covers. It was such an old place, this   
library. One would think when they got inside that they could find anything  
they needed on the Comm Net. But he could never get the straight facts and   
information if he didn't go physically looking for it. All that the Net had   
about creatures of long-gone imaginations were just enough for a child to do  
a report on mythology.   
  
Duo didn't want a report on mythology. Everything that he had read   
through didn't shed any light at all to what Zechs had said. They barely   
mentioned alicorns, and when it did, was said that those creatures were a   
combination of a unicorn and a pegasus. This was so frustrating! The Greek   
mythologies all said that they appeared to help a hero carry out the task   
that his destiny assigned.   
  
_Who would have called an alicorn NightMare, either?_ He thought   
soberly as he carefully carried the large books to a forelorn corner where   
no one would bother him. _But then, that's just me._  
  
Taking a quick glance around him to make sure there was no one around  
(well, there was only about two people there anyway), Duo stiffled a yawn.   
It was nine at night, yet he felt like it was past midnight. It must have  
been the musky scents of the old books. Time was beginning to feel very   
surreal. He could almost believe anything that he read in here, he was that  
drawsy.   
  
Setting the blood-red book down on the table, Duo resisted the urge to  
run his hand over the covers again. The lights were dim were he was sitting,   
and there were fake torches on the walls to add into the medieval effect.   
The corners of his lips lifted upward as he pulled out a chair and sat down  
on it himself. This was relaxing... it wasn't the kind of relaxing where he   
could fall asleep anytime soon, but the kind there you sit on a pourch on   
a sunny day and started reading to your heart's content.  
  
This book had to be his last hope. He was retiring to his bed after   
this if he couldn't find any information on Angels and alicorns. He had   
already gone through tens of books and was wondering whether he would ever   
find proof other than his gut instinct and his memories before they had to  
face whatever it was to get through to the Angels.  
  
Zechs still hadn't told them what to do except for waiting. That was   
one of the main reasons Duo had an unpleasent feeling down in his stomach.   
He needed to know what they were all supposed to do in order to prepare for  
it- physically and mentally. Wufei was probably meditating about it rather   
than sleeping at home, while the others did their daily routines and tried   
to keep in their nervousness when the room got silent. That was why Duo had  
tried extra hard the last few days to be loud and noisy- he could tell the  
others appreciated it this time. But he himself didn't know how to prepare   
for whatever was coming up. He didn't want to go in unprepared... especially  
when he had so much oppertunity to be prepared.  
  
Duo carefully opened the book, taking extra care with the thick yellow  
pages that looked like it had been soaked with water at one point and dried  
out in the sun. The pictures in there were amazing, the fiction story holding  
something adventurous and exciting just at the mere glance.   
  
Duo took it all in an instant, mouth hanging slightly open as he saw  
beautiful Renaissance pictures that littered the boxed. There were pictures  
of winged people holding spears, posing high in the sky as they faced some  
unseen force that was presented only be smudges in the painting. There were  
people littering the ground, wringing their hands and holding crying babes,   
turning their eyes downcast away from the heavenly figures and preying to   
the dark winged ones that were below them.   
  
He felt a jolt of electricity run up his spine. His violet orbs scanned  
the page briefly as they settled back on the pictures. Gently turning a page,  
he was greeted by even more pictures of gloom and war. And again, the winged  
ones were fighting nothing but smudges on the painting.   
  
After about ten pages of this, Duo turned back to the first page,   
with some pieces of the puzzle in his grasp.   
  
It was a history, as far as he could tell. A fictacious one about ten   
missing years in history that no one knew about during the Medieval times,   
when the Black Death struck fear into the hearts of everyone and no one even  
bothered to count the deaths anymore.   
  
In the beginning of those ten years, creatures of all sorts of the   
imagination had started to appear around the small towns. Then the demons   
started coming, causing much chaos and panic because of the beliefs in   
Christianity. The demons on Earth were forced to hide for their lives, being  
that they would get killed as soon as seen by the humans. It was only two   
years later that a demon had saved a group of small children that had been   
the only survivers to a massacure.   
  
Those children, ranging between the age of babes and journeymen, had   
been scared at first, but after weeks of decent caring from the demons whom   
they had once shunned, they decided that those demons were the only things   
standing between themselves and death.   
  
It was only then and five years after the first appearance of the   
creatures did that small village rebuild itself on the hands of trusting   
children and under the eyes of knowing dead. It was a year later when the   
children grew to adults and learned the story of Guardian Angels that were   
watching over them, just like the bible had told them. Except now, they   
knew not to trust the religions that had been set up since way before they   
were born and to see things with their own eyes before believing.   
  
That proved to be their downfall.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Duo drew a finger across a line of blood that   
had been drawn into the painting- a line that showed which side either was   
fighting for. With the Angels in the air, and the humans reaching up yet  
looking downcast, at first glance it would almost look like the children in  
the scene were neglecting the Angels and looking to the demons to help them.   
  
How curious.   
  
Chewing on his lower lip, Duo flipped back to where he had left off.   
The story of how shadow creatures had followed the demons and how the humans  
lost hope once the deadly plegue hit them. All the precious dreams the   
village had as children were lost as they died one by one, no longer   
believing in a Guardian Angel to look after them.  
  
It was then that the shadow creatures hit, swarming and overwhelming   
the demons and taking sancuary in the former havens of the villagers. There  
was a great war between the demons and the shadow ones, the demons doing  
their very best to protect the villagers and cursing the Angels for not doing  
their jobs.   
  
Duo flipped a few pages, skipping over many grusome battle scenes,   
where the dark-winged demons were in Holy War with the blurrs on the other   
side of the bloody line. A line to seperate life and death as could be told  
with the many dying plants and flora life in the background.   
  
Finally coming to a rest at the end of the bloody pictures, he took   
in the new ones with a mild disgust. There were pictures of the same children  
that had been in the beginning, now complete adults and mourning over the   
deaths of all the demons that surrounded their village.   
  
He read the pages after that, hearing about the one Angel that had   
broken through the barrier and landed on the Earth as punishment. She had led  
an army of Angels into the physical realm, battling back at the cost of her  
freedom. After having done that, she was stripped of most of her Angelic   
powers and was forced to walk to Earth till the end of time, until she found  
what she had done wrong and amended for it. Immortal and in eternal grief,   
she disappeared from the face of the Earth, appearing only at the most   
desperate times and never regretting the fact that she had been able to help.  
  
It was said that she was usually accompanied by a midnight alicorn,   
black as Death itself, and often talking to that alicorn.  
  
With that, Duo closed the book gently, ignoring the rest of the   
contents in the book and got up, carrying the book to put back onto the   
shelf where he got it from.   
  
About five minutes later, he left the library and didn't look back.  
  
  
  
"An alicorn?"  
  
"I never would have thought it myself, sir."   
  
Treize sat back into his chair, fingers on his chin as he rested his   
elbow onto the armrest. "Are you sure? This is something we have to be   
absolutely sure of, Zechs."  
  
"I'm sure. At first I thought the eyes were a coincidence, then the   
Yuy boy started asking about alicorns. Something else that I had dismissed  
until I thought back to it. Although seeing that the others were surprised   
to hear pilot 01 mention it, I will have to look further into it."  
  
Treize nodded. "You do that. If there's a unicorn in our midst, then   
we might have a very easy chance at contacting the Angels. The Witches   
refusing to help us might not be that big of a setback after all. But make   
sure, as I said. Only an alicorn will appear if we do this. If an Angel   
appears, we will have killed a Holy being."  
  
"Aa. Have the Old Ones agreed to help us yet?"  
  
Treize hesitated. "No. Not yet. My patience is running out for them.   
They are ignorant and have not understood the severity of the situation yet.  
I will inform them of what you have discovered. Perhaps now that they know   
we might have an alicorn to side with us, they will join us."  
  
"And if they don't? Maybe they do not want to be involved in such a   
thing as this."  
  
"Don't be silly. They are the decendents of Hecate. They are destined   
to be involved, no matter if they want to or not and no matter the side that   
they take."  
  
"You believe that they will be swayed to help us because of one touched  
by Elysian?"  
  
One side of Treize's mouth curved up. "Yes. They have no choice in that  
matter. They have to be involved in a case of one changed by Elysian."  
  
"Aa." Zechs remained quiet, his mask hiding whatever expression was on  
his face- and more specifically, in his eyes.   
  
Treized eyed the blonde pilot for a moment, then nodded in apparent   
satisfaction.  
  
He waved a gloved hand to signal the end of the discussion. "I will   
ask the Delos' one last time. We will either have to work with them, or," he  
frowned a bit, "against them."  
  
Zechs dipped his head in understanding, and turned to leave the room,  
a sharp click of the heels being the only sound in the room.  
  
As Treize heard the door close behind Zechs, he lifted a wine glass to  
his lips and drank as much as he could without seeming to do so.   
  
"An alicorn," he murmured to himself after he swallowed, his voice   
husky as the alcohol slowly took effect. "This way, we'll be able to contact  
the Angels faster. We'll be able to end all the lost souls.  
  
"That should be a good thing. That alicorn will help us. There will be  
no more souls lost if I can help it."  
  
He took another drink, finishing the cup. Closing his eyes and leaning  
his head into the back of his chair, Treize muttered, "Damn."  
  
In a sudden movement, he threw the wine glass at a wall, unflinching   
as the glass shattered into a million pieces and fell to the ground, the   
peices shinning in the dim light of the room, like fallen diamonds that were  
waiting to be claimed.   
  
He placed his fingers on his temple, rubbing softly and grimacing in a  
mental sort of pain.   
  
"Damn."  
  
  
  
Violet eyes. Duo had violet eyes.  
  
Artemis Delos scowled as she hung up the phone. That damned Kushenada.  
Why couldn't he leave her family well enough alone? And to dare accuse one of  
her friends as being touched by Elysian. It wasn't as if violet eyes auto-  
matically meant that you had been changed. There were people who had violet  
as a natural eye color. It didn't mean anything.  
  
But the fact that Duo had seen the demon... had actually seen the   
*form*, when even Diana could barely identify what world it had been from...  
it meant something. Something that Artemis didn't want to admit about her   
friends. She wanted to leave that life long behind her.   
  
She didn't want to be Artemis.  
  
But DAMN....  
  
Duo had violet eyes.  
  
  
  
End part 9.  
  
  
Wai!!! *goes goo-y eyed* thanks to everyone who responded to this fic!!! I've  
been very, very sick for the past week- even if it didn't cover the week   
before that. I'm sorry!! It's my fault, I went dancing and came back at 1 in  
the morning, and IT WAS RAINING. I could barely go to school, let alone   
write. I'm very, very sorry!!!!   
Anyway, this plot is going VERY deep. Where as I was introducing things   
before, now I'm actually *getting* to the point! ^_^ Please be patient as   
the story unfolds. I'm trying to spin a thick quilt here.  
Again, THANK YOU for everyone who responded! I had been discouraged and just  
going through the net _reading_ when I saw the responses. Then I started   
writing and didn't stop until now. 


	10. part 10

Started: March 1, 2001  
Finished: March 1, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: Yes, I'm back. I am... *dramatic voice* the G-wing Boys' baby-  
sitter!!! As well as being the babysitter for my cousin... yes! My male   
cousin was born yesterday!! *gives a happy shriek* I got to go see him   
today!!!  
  
1+2/2+1... although it *might* be neglected for a few parts due to the plot.  
Hey! I want a action/adventure as well as a romance!! AU, and TWT.  
  
Comments... _please_. I'm working very hard on this fic...  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 10  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
It was only the next day when Heero realized there was something wrong.  
Duo was too quiet. Even with the events going on, Duo was unusually full of  
energy, still able to fidget around while people were making plans. It could  
be that there was something to do with the library trip that he had taken all  
yesterday. But nothing could have gone wrong in a library, could it?  
  
Duo looked a bit shocked as Heero stood next to the desk he was doing   
homework on. Violet orbs met his for a moment before looking back to his   
papers, as if trying to hide something. "Yeah, Heero?"  
  
"What's wrong?" The boy demanded, not backing down at Duo's posture.   
Although Heero realized that everyone needed their own personal space some-  
times, he was not going to let Duo get away with hiding something from him.   
They didn't hide anything from each other. Not before, especially not now.  
  
Duo didn't pause in his math equations, still working them out by hand  
as the teacher had requested as he replied, "I'm fine. Stop worrying."  
  
Heero, now getting a little frustrated at how Duo was ignoring him,   
seized the pencil as it was moving and lifted it above his head to make sure  
that he had Duo's attention.   
  
Duo stopped looking at the paper and glared at Heero, a scowl very   
evident on his face. He turned the chair to face his partner and crossed his  
arms in a very childish way and snapped, "What?"  
  
Heero seethed inwardly at how Duo was acting, but remained calm in   
outward appearance. "Something's bothering you." He was concerned about Duo,  
although at the moment he could not be forced to admit it.  
  
Duo sighed, his posture relaxing in the slightest. "It's nothing. Don't  
worry about it. Just saw something I didn't like much in the library. Someone  
in the books."  
  
"Aa." An historical person that he didn't like, perhaps?  
  
Duo raised an eyebrow. "It's nothing. I'm just in a pissed mood. Can I   
have my pencil back now?"  
  
Heero was about to answer when Quatre called the two of them from   
downstairs. They both looked towards the source of the sound and Duo got up,  
he and Heero walking down the stairs together.   
  
Zechs was standing there, mask securely on his head and looking   
frazzeled none the less. Quatre was sitting on a chair on the other side of  
the room, looking pissed at the blonde OZ fighter.   
  
Duo blinked. Trowa was standing besides Quatre, stoic as usual. Wufei  
was actually looking from one person to the other, an amused expression   
graced his face.   
  
"What's going on here?" he asked, at the end of the stairs, one hand   
still on the wooden railing.  
  
Zechs turned towards the sound of his voice. "Aa. Maxwell. You are   
needed for our experiament to call the Angels."  
  
Duo nodded, not going any closer, throwing a nervous glance at Quatre,  
who looked like he was about the go Zero system on them. "Right. What kind   
of an experiament? I hope you know that I'm not the kind to just sit around  
and let you dissect me."  
  
Zechs frowned. "I'm aware of that. But I was informed," he waved a hand  
at the three pilots sitting in the corner to tell *who* it was that he was   
informed by, "that you were able to see the shadow creatures clearly?"  
  
Duo turned a nasty look on the three, but managed to keep his venum   
down to a certain level. "I don't see how it has to do with anything. You   
said that all of us had a special ability to see things. Besides, Quatre can  
also see them clearly."  
  
Now Zechs had a small smile on his face that made Duo suspicious. It   
was the kind of smile one got when they knew they were going to win and had   
to explain that to your opponent.   
  
"Ahh, but dear 04 passed out with the others back at the 'party' that   
you told me about. Only you and the pilot 01 remained concious. Now, I would  
suspect both of you of having more otherworldly talent than the rest if I had  
also not heard that Yuy cannot see those creatures- he can merely pinpoint   
their location because he sees a blurr or a dark cloud."  
  
"I don't like it," Quatre spoke up from where he sat.  
  
The two faced him. "Is it because you don't trust me? I thought I   
covered that tw-"  
  
"It's not that." Quatre interrupted, his voice hard. "Experiament is   
not a word to be using on your allies." the tone was mocking. "And especially  
when you refuse to tell us where the experiament will be taken and what will  
be going on. Maybe," poor Quatre's voice was raising with every word, "we   
would take it better if you told us something useful!!!"  
  
Duo winced, seeing Trowa step in to try and calm Quatre down. The   
Winner pilot sure was upset this time. But they couldn't really do anything   
about it. They had to help Zechs before more and more souls jump the cliff.  
  
He and Treize wouldn't hurt him, would they? They were honorable...   
enough that Wufei admitted them much credit. That meant that they wouldn't   
backstab him if he went.   
  
"Don't worry, Quatre," he said soothingly, smiling just a bit as Trowa  
gave him a thankful look. "I'll be fine. If we can call the Angels in this   
round, then maybe we'll have to stop waiting around." God. Waiting around   
the house wondering what you should be doing at the moment for a few days   
was not fun.   
  
"I won't be satisfied until at least someone goes with you," Quatre   
shot back. Duo cringed. Apparently, Quatre's Z-system tendencies had not  
worn off yet.  
  
"Alright, alright," Duo muttered under his breath, and turned his head  
to look at Zechs. "What he said. Experiament or no?"  
  
"We need you there alone." Zechs insisted.  
  
"He's not going there alone!" Quatre snapped.  
  
"It's not like you can go," Zechs growled calmly.  
  
Duo looked back and forth. "Eh? What's he talking about, Quatre?"  
  
Quatre scowled as Zechs spoke for him, "One of the larger world   
companies are threatening to buy over te Winner Co. right now. It's been a   
source of annoyance for a while- but since the male heir could never meet   
with any of them, they took that as a sign of weakness and tried to scramble  
themselves into getting rid of the Winner Corps." Zechs turned to Quatre for  
confirmation. "Am I right?"  
  
Quatre's scowl only grew deeper.   
  
"Now 04 is needed to make peace between the two relations before his   
sisters blow up on the others. He's needed on L4 for the time being."  
  
"So someone else can go with him." Quatre said, not giving Zechs any   
more chances to talk. "Heero can go with him."  
  
Heero nodded to Quatre's idea.  
  
"Yeah, sure, why can't Heero come too?" Duo asked.  
  
Zechs looked plenty frustrated. "Because it's an ancient ritual that   
supposedly summons the spirit to help the Angels break through the barrier."  
The others could tell that there was either something more to that, or it   
wasn't completely true.  
  
"Duo isn't going without Heero." Quatre said stubbornly. "Especially   
when you only specified for Duo. If you had asked for any one of us, it would  
have been easier to believe what you said. But I'm not allowing you to call   
on any of us to do whatever you want to like lap dogs. Even if we *are*   
allies. You're relying on us, not the other way around."  
  
And so it was that two hours later Zechs finally admitted defeat and   
conceeded to having Heero along.   
  
  
  
"Here?"   
  
Heero gave a glare at Zechs, who stood in between the pilots and the  
door to the small shack that they had arrived at in the middle of the woods  
in town. Heero had been tense when they entered the woods, hoping against   
all hope that Zechs hadn't found the Gundams here, and had only relazed a   
little when they started walking the opposite direction from the mechas.   
Peace be damned- no one from the enemy was going near those Gundams without  
Heero knowing about it.  
  
"Yes, here." Zechs cast a look to Duo. "You have to go in without him  
from here. There's a sacred fire inside that cannot be touched by outside   
influences."  
  
Heero corssed his arms and muttered something that sounded suspiciously  
like "bullshit" to Duo, but didn't comment other than that.  
  
"Fine." Duo's eyes flickered along the shack, looking at the one doored  
house. There were no windows nor other exits. Meaning, the door was the only  
way in or out. Not that Heero wouldn't be able to break the wood to pieces  
by himself....  
  
Taking a deep breath, Duo stepped around Zechs and put a hand on the   
doorknob. It was surprisingly warm, considering how cold metal could be in  
the shade. Turning it halfway, Duo opened the door and slipped inside, trying  
to ignore the stare that Heero was giving him.   
  
Looking inside, the first thing Duo noticed was the cold. It was very   
cold in the room, in contrast to the doorknob and outside. It was like   
stepping from a hot desert into a shade cooled house. Except a little more  
so. The next thing he noticed was a great fire in the center of the room,   
and six people surrounding the fire in various colored robes.   
  
He heard Zechs also step in and the door close behind him. It was so   
_cold_. How could it be so cold when there was a roaring fire before him?  
  
"Duo Maxwell," the tallest robed one spoke. The voice told him it was   
a female, despite her wearing a thick army green robe. She sounded oddly   
familiar, as if he'd heard her voice once before. But it was enough for him  
to place the accent. "You are the one touched by Elysian?"  
  
Duo frowned, standing his ground. He narrowed his eyes, trying to   
peer into the heavy robe without seeming like doing so. He was sure he never  
talked to someone with this voice, but it was familiar like he'd heard it  
before. Recently.   
  
But after a moment he realized that she expected an answer from him.   
Looking to Zechs and seeing the man give a curt nodd, Duo said, "Yes."  
  
"Aa." The fire was making shadows dance across the colored hood, making  
Duo feel like he was in a odd dream. It was the same sort of feeling he had  
in the library, only more powerful. Especially when he was cold like that.   
"Then you have come to gain the right to the Holy Fire?"  
  
Again, Duo looked to Zechs for confirmation. "Yes."  
  
"Then you must be able to step in without any worries."  
  
Now Duo really wanted to know what was going on, and didn't care for   
Zechs's attitude anymore. "Step in? All I know is that whatever I'm going   
to do, it's to help souls. I hadn't felt a great need to protest," um,   
actually, that wasn't very true, "but now I want to know what you want me  
to do. I can't very well do anything if you don't tell me what's going on."  
  
The green robed one turned her head towards Zechs, who still stood   
frozen behind Duo and in front of the door. After a moment, she turned back  
to him and nodded. "I suppose you are to know what you are facing."  
  
With that, she gestured to another tall person in a red robe. "I'm   
sure you'd much rather like the others to explain that to you."  
  
Duo craned him head towards the other robed ones, most taller than he  
was and one shorter.   
  
Slowly, one by one, the robed figures seemed to sigh.   
  
"So much for dramatic," one of them muttered.  
  
Then, two black hoods came off to reveal tossled blond heads, both   
looking identical to each other and with a dark look on both faces.   
  
Duo stepped back despite himself. He knew them! Everyone in school   
knew them. They were very popular seniors in the high school, Selene and   
Demeter. And they were the cousins to-  
  
The owner of the red robe and the midnight blue one lowered their hoods  
and they both gave Duo a grim look.   
  
What the fuck?!  
  
Artemis and Diana???  
  
  
  
"You never told me you were touched by Elysian," Diana accused, her   
bright blue eyes glazed with a deep ache. "If we're friends, how come you   
never told us about this? I had to hear of it from Selene!"  
  
Duo was still in too much of a shock to really answer correctly, but  
he managed to stammer, "I don't even know what you're talking about..."  
  
Diana only scowled and crossed her arms, something that almost looked  
impossible with the thick blue robe that she was wearing. Artemis was   
standing besides her, their looks clashing until you both looked into their  
eyes to see a shallow betrayal reflected in both pairs.   
  
"Touched. By Elysian. It means that you have been affected by the   
Angel World in some way, like having an Angel grant your wish or having an   
alicorn to guard you." Diana said, her voice in monotone.  
  
"You have a lot of nerves hiding something like this, little boy,"   
Demeter hissed, only held in check by her twin sister. They both looked a lot  
like Diana, except their hair was light enough to complete with Zechs. It   
gave them a more feral look than Diana's soft posture.  
  
Duo wrinkled his brows. "What are you guys?"  
  
Demeter hissed at that question, but the green robed one held a hand  
up to keep her from doing anything.  
  
"We are the decendents of the Old Ones," explained the one with the   
green robe. "Daughters of Hecate. Our duty is to test those who are touched  
by Elysian- to make sure that they are worthy enough to end up in the land   
which they are destined to go." there was a brief pause. "I believe you   
would call us Witches."  
  
Duo mentally counted to ten, letting the words digest. It wasn't that  
much of a surprise to him, considering the things he had been told and saw  
in the last few weeks. It was that he wasn't surprised that scared him.   
  
"We had reason not to tell you," Artemis interrupted his train of   
thought. "The entire school thinks that we're Wiccans, which is fine with  
us... but what we specialize in are dimensional travel... being able to   
move through the barriers of the Worlds to reach the other side for com-  
munication. There's people who knows about the Worlds and want to talk with  
their dead relatives sometimes. We can do the demon world easily.  
  
"But our real purpose is this. Creating Holy Fire. It purifys a person,  
but only a person with a strong enough will and destiny will be able to come  
out unchanged. If the person is too tainted by Death, that Barrier will be   
the one who throws the soul out to the Darkness."  
  
"The fire...?" Duo asked.  
  
"Is not the same as any other fire." Artemis completed, shooting a   
look to the rest of her family to make sure they didn't attack him out of   
vengance. "The power of this fire comes from the moon. That is what our   
names mean. Being able to command the Moon. Goddess of the Moon." she bit   
her lip uncertainly. "We can do communication easily, but a Holy Fire...   
it's something that none of us wanted to do again. That's why Demeter's so   
pissed off at you."  
  
Duo looked from one person to another, eyes finally resting on the   
two figures that were still robed. It was easy to guess now. The one in the  
green robe and had been talking to him must have been Leto. He had never   
talked to her before, but had heard her in another room while he was at the  
party. The one who hadn't said a word must be Pandora.  
  
"I don't understand." Duo said. "What did you want me to do? Purify   
my soul? It's not exactly as if you can douse me in gasoline and light me   
up. I'm not sure that 'Holy Fire' of yours would do me any good."  
  
Diana huffed. "We're not going to burn you, you idiot! All you have to   
do is _step_ in the fire."  
  
  
  
  
End part 10.  
  
Heh. That was fast. I know I didn't describe as much in this part than I did  
in the other parts. But I felt that I really needed to get to the point. It   
was dragging out too long- especially when I do have a plot going on! The   
concept of the fire was taken from book 2 of 'Daughters of the Moon'. I know  
I really ended this on a cliffhanger, but I'll write fast- I promise! *gets   
wistful* If only someone would comment again....!  
Alycilos: Dream on, 'Mera!  
*SMACK* Damn muse! I told you not to call me that!! 


	11. part 11

Started: March 3, 2001  
Finished: March 4, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: *waves* The G-boys aren't mine (thought I wish they were), and   
I'm just babysitting them while all the other 'offical' people might be able  
to get a rest from their characters. ^_^ *A crash is heard in the background,  
as well as a few muffled curses that soon turn silent. One more crash is   
heard, although this time there's a moan* ...And their libido... ~_~;;  
  
1+2/2+1. AU, TWT. Fantasy story. C & C very welcome!!! ^_^ It helps me write.  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 11  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
"I don't understand." Duo said. "What did you want me to do? Purify   
my soul? It's not exactly as if you can douse me in gasoline and light me   
up. I'm not sure that 'Holy Fire' of yours would do me any good."  
  
Diana huffed. "We're not going to burn you, you idiot! All you have to   
do is _step_ in the fire."  
  
Duo blinked slowly, turning the words over in his head. Comprehension  
was slow to dawn. "You want me to _WHAT_??!!"  
  
Diana scowled, the fire behind her playing shadows in her supposedly  
peaceful features. For a moment, Duo could mistake her for Quatre on Zero-  
system. Damn, those two looked almost identical.  
  
"Don't be stupid, Duo," Diana said, totally unlike the girl that Duo  
had gotten to know during the past few weeks. "You already saw this coming.  
You couldn't have been so stupid as to come here without knowing exactly   
what was coming."  
  
Duo opened his mouth to protest that he *hadn't* known anything about   
this, but then closed it as he realized that he had been too trusting.   
Tilting his head off to a side, he glared long and hard at Zechs, as if   
trusting the OZ pilot was his fault.  
  
"The basics are very simple." Diana continued to say, "You step in the  
fire and your Guardian comes. He or she must grant you a wish- unless your  
Guardian is a alicorn," she hesitated slightly, and Duo thought he saw her   
glaring heavily at Zechs, "then they'll just come here."  
  
"I don't see what this is supposed to do," Duo said flatly, lips   
turning down into a frown.   
  
Artemis blew the bangs of her dark hair up. "It draws the Elyian   
Guardians, that's what it's supposed to do. The Holy Fire is the only thing  
that can break barriers. Used to be that people would use the Holy Fire to   
try and draw wishes from the Angels, because it was so rare for someone to   
actually get a wish. Kind of a crib sheet, if you know what I mean."  
  
Great. A cheat to get a wish. Was something like this going to condemn  
him to hell or something?  
  
Oh wait. There was no hell. Only Daejin.  
  
"And you want me to *step* into it?" Duo flustered.   
  
Artemis sighed as Diana got ruffled up again. The other Delos' weren't   
much help, either. "I think we already covered that." she muttered.  
  
"I'm not stepping into a fire." Duo said bluntly, giving the girls   
before him a hard glare. "Nu uh, no way. No offense to you guys, but I'm not  
stepping in _any_ fires. Being burned to death is one of the most painful   
ways to die here."  
  
Artemis frowned at him, then reached out from where she was to touch   
to bright flames. Duo watched her fingers go through suspiciously, then   
widened his eyes as she put her entire hand in the fire and let it stay there  
for a few seconds.   
  
Pulling her hands out from the flames, she grinned at him. "Does that  
answer your question?"   
  
Duo gaped, wondering if this was because she was a Witch that she   
wasn't harmed, then trying to comprehend what just happened.  
  
"Don't try to make sense of it," Diana informed him. "After all you've   
seen in the past few weeks, and this I heard from Treize, you really   
shouldn't be so surprised to see a fire that doesn't harm someone."  
  
She was right, actually. Duo wasn't too surprised. As a matter of fact,  
it was _cold_ in the room, not hot like he thought it would be. The flames   
before him didn't seem to be providing any warmth at all.   
  
Taking a step foreward and seeing Selene and Demeter pull away from him  
and the fire, he carefully lifted a hand and brushed it along the outer   
flames. It was a cool touch, like touching the glass windows after it rained.  
Except not as solid.   
  
Realizing now that he wasn't going to get hurt, Duo waved his left hand  
through the center of the fire, the flames trying to crawl up his arm as he  
did so. It was so cold in the center... and when he pulled his hand back he   
saw frost glistening on his skin.   
  
It was a fucking cold fire.  
  
"This is your Holy Fire?" he nearly shrieked, but managed to control   
himself. "You want me to freeze?!"  
  
Leto stiffled her chuckles. "A minute ago, young man, you were worried  
about getting burned to death. Now you're worried about freezing?" she tilted  
her head, still not letting down her hood, "Do we need to get into another   
arguement about this?"  
  
Duo shook his head, rubbing the thin layer of frost off on his black   
jeans. It came off immediantly, much to his relief. "Geez, just when I   
thought I'd heard just about everything...."  
  
He breathed out a puff of air, raising an eyebrow at the Witches. "So  
you want me to step in there? Is there any guarentee on my safety?"  
  
"Is there ever?" Leto asked him.   
  
"Good point." Duo eyed the fire skeptically. He put his hand in the   
flames again, shivering when the fire started crawling up his arm like a   
living being. He didn't think that he would be able to get used to this cold.  
ot numbing, but definately not the ordinary cold that you feel when you go   
out in the snow with t-shirt and shorts.   
  
"We're ready whenever you are." Leto said. "You don't have to do any-  
thing other than stand there. We're going to be the ones who will call your  
Guardian."  
  
*Call me Guardian. Can't _I_ just call my Guardian? It's not as if I've  
never seen her before... but yeah... I don't really know how to call my   
Guardian either....* "Alright, fine."  
  
He pulled his arm out and once again wiped the frost off on his jeans.   
It was just so damned cold! That concept of a cold fire still hadn't really  
taken a hold on Duo's mind yet.   
  
He sent a cold glare towards Zechs, then took a deep breath. "Cold   
fire..." he murmured, and slumped his shoulders in resignation. This time,  
he didn't hold out his hand towards the fire, but stepped into it all at   
once.  
  
The results were immediant. Ice settled in his bones as Duo grit his   
teeth as hard as he could to keep from screaming. The fire roared up as soon  
as he stepped in, and the flames danced over his, covering his skin with a   
thin sheen of ice that practically glowed. His clothing remained unaffected,  
however, much to the boy's surprise.   
  
He could barely hear the mumbling that started up as soon as the ice  
cold flames hit him, but tried to concentrate on something other than the   
cold that settled inside his bones. A few seconds seemed like an eternity   
there, until finally Duo realized that if he could just concentrate on the  
fire then he would feel better.   
  
Duo stumbled as the flames soared up besides him, now trying to get   
away from the living flames. But the fire refused to let him go, and no   
matter how far he reached, the flames would cover him, surrounding his skin  
even outside of the fire. It cocooned him completely. Like liquid fire.   
  
Not able to take it anymore, even when he was thinking about the cold,  
he let out a scream of anger, seeing that no one around was going to help   
him out. Why weren't they doing anything?  
  
Luckily for him, though, the pain started to wear down. Within moments  
he was starting to feel better- embracing the cold and letting it flow over   
him. It gave him a sense of power- of control. The control that he so   
desperately wanted in his life, but had been lost when the events started   
happening a few weeks ago.   
  
*Have I ever been in control of my life before?* He mused, now feeling  
his hair resisting the cold, not frosting over like the rest of him. Dimmly,  
he realized that the tie had come off, and that his hair was slowly settling  
about him, giving him an odd sense of even more control.   
  
The fire was welcoming. It freed him from pain and confusion. For the   
first time in his life, Duo felt like he could gain control of what was   
happening to him. He had the power to do so.  
  
  
  
Heero had been listening intently at the door, figuring out what was   
going on and wondering if he should interfere. He had a feeling that there  
was something that the Witches weren't saying. Diana was *very* distressed   
about the Holy Fire, as were the others. Why would they be so angry that they  
had to create fire like that? From what they were saying, it did people good.  
  
Duo's scream of anger from inside had been the last straw. Taking out   
a gun from somewhere, Heero broke down the door easily, running in to check   
on his partner. But it was the sight inside that shocked him.   
  
Inside were the Witches and Zechs, all backed into the corners as the  
fire grew bigger ang bigger. And inside the fire... was Duo. Even Heero   
could barely reconize the other boy.   
  
Duo was standing in the middle of the fire, his hair loose and floating  
about him gently, flickering and twisting like the fire. His clothes seemed   
even darker now that it was surrounded by the bright orange and blue of the  
fire. His skin was covered with a layer of ice, making it glimmer swirl in   
the light of the fire.  
  
But what Heero didn't reconize the most were Duo's eyes. The half-  
lidded violet orbs turned a few shades closer to black, and in them were   
emotions that Heero could swear was never there before.   
  
Out of all those emotions in the expressive eyes, Heero saw   
satisfation. A deep, twisted sense of peace and contentment that he knew   
right away was more like a drug than real peace.   
  
Upon his entry into the small shack, Duo turned his eyes from where   
they were looking at the others to look at him. A small smile curved at his  
lips, one that was mocking and serene both at the same time, making Heero   
wonder what had happened to his friend in the short time that he hadn't been  
able to hear what was going on.   
  
"Heero," Duo whispered, his voice soft and husky. "How nice of you to   
join us. Aren't you going to come over here?"  
  
Heero's hands went numb at the voice, nearly dropping the gun that he   
was holding. Thank god for training. "Something's wrong with you, Duo."  
  
Duo laughed, ignoring the other people that were there. Silently,  
he walked out of the fire, the flames caressing his skin and pleading for   
him to go back. Duo ignored that too.  
  
The longhaired boy walked up to his partner, smiling as he saw that   
Heero's eyes had hardened. Placing a finger close to Heero's throat, Duo   
smiled wider when he saw that Heero had grabbed his wrist.  
  
What he didn't expect was for the boy's eyes to soften so.   
  
"Duo, snap out of it. Whatever happened to you in the fire..."  
  
"Nothing happened to me," Duo cooed. "The fire didn't do anything to   
me other than give me the control that I've always wanted." he slipped his   
wrist out of Heero's grasp, and his smile widened into a grin as he saw that  
Heero hadn't moved his hand from the position where he had grabbed Duo's   
wrist.   
  
He circled the pilot of Wing, running a hand over Heero's arms. Heero  
could feel goosebumps raise up where Duo had touched him. The smaller boy's  
fingers were cold, freezing. There was no mercy for Heero as Duo stopped   
behind the other boy, and leaned close, breathing into Heero's ear.   
  
"Didn't you ever want control of your life, Heero?" he whispered,   
touching his lips onto Heero's neck. The other boy was still frozen, not   
even moving his eyes to watch Duo. "Isn't that why you act so cold towards   
others? You wanted control of your life, your emotions. But you've never   
had control. That's why you crave and long for it so badly that you would   
push whoever that could take control of your life away."   
  
Duo touched his cold forehead onto the side of Heero's cheek, and   
kissed under the chin. The was still smiling as he felt a shiver go up the   
other boy, whether it be the cold that Duo eminated or the closeness, he   
didn't care. The other boy was so warm. Here was also something else that he  
had wanted to take control of for a long time. His love life sucked.   
  
"I could give you control, Heero," Duo purred. He circled his arms   
around the boy's waist and was disappointed when Heero didn't react. His   
violet eyes flickered for just a moment to the Witches and Zechs, but   
quickly dismissed them when he realized that they weren't even paying   
attention. Those silly Witches were working on a spell. Well, no spell could   
make him loose his control. He was more powerful than they were now.   
  
Duo let out a contented sigh as he rested his head on Heero's shoulder.  
"I know you like me, and I like you too. Maybe even love." He chuckled.   
"Love. It's a bitch, isn't it? If feels like you're loosing control... when   
in reality, you're only giving that control to the person you trust most   
with it. You still have your control. Oh, yes, it's still control. I could   
give you that control Heero. If you want it."  
  
He could feel Heero tense, and slowly, warms hands were placed over   
his own, taking them apart. Duo let go, watching Heero curiously under the   
curtain of his hair.   
  
Feeling the cold hands under his, Heero winced slightly as he turned   
to face the boy that had been haunting his dreams for so long. Duo was   
watching him, violet eyes dark and half-lidded with desire.   
  
Holding Duo's hands in front of him, Heero let himself admire the   
creature before him for a moment. The frost on Duo's skin had melted some-  
what, making his skin sparkle under the cold water. His hair fell in a   
dark curtain around him, cloaking the dark clothes that were starting to   
stick to his skin as the water soaked it through. In his current state, Duo  
looked ethereal.   
  
But looking into Duo's eyes reminded Heero that something was wrong.   
Relaxing his posture slightly, Heero prayed that he would be able to do this  
right. He pressed his forehead against Duo's, shivering slightly as he felt   
the cold and clammy skin against his. Still holding Duo's hands, Heero   
whispered quietly, "I want it, Duo. I want you to hold my control. But not   
like this." he was painfully aware that this private moment held several   
guests in the room, but tried not to let that get to him. "Suki da, Duo.   
Maybe even more."   
  
With that, Heero swiftly caught Duo's mouth under his, feeling the   
cold skin under him with clarity and silently willing his warmth to seep   
through. He could feel Duo leaning into the kiss, pressing his hands against  
Heero's.   
  
Heero ran his tongue over Duo's lower lip, feeling the sweet mouth   
under his and was rewarded when Duo opened his mouth for him. With that,   
Heero let go of Duo's hands and desperately gathered the other boy into his  
arms, running his hands through that long and silken hair. Their tongues   
touched tentatively, and Heero pulled the cold body against his own as   
tightly as he could manage without hurting Duo.   
  
*Please, Duo. You don't have to always be in control. You taught me  
that. It's okay to let go.*  
  
With that thought, Heero felt Duo tense up and scream.   
  
  
  
End part 11.  
  
  
  
*hums* Wow! Writing scenes like that are harder than I thought! Oh, and about  
the comment about Duo's hair being 'silky'? I've heard complaints that it's   
been overused. Well, shit on this (I'm on PMS, can you tell?) - My hair is   
a real bitch to take care of. *tugs on own braid* Right now, it's only below  
my shoulders (I cut off about two feet last year) and it's really, really   
soft. That's a good thing? No. Take the Winter Formal. My best friend's mom  
spent an hour and a half plus half a bottle of mousse on my hair before she   
got it to curl. Ten minutes later, it's back to normal. *yanks hair* I love   
my hair, but this certainly sucks!! 


	12. part 12

Started: March 6, 2001  
Finished: March 7, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: *grumbles* The G-boys are about to face my wrath. Poor babysitter  
has been up 21 hours and on PMS. I have five reports to finish and two high   
school exit exams to take this week. One will last 5 hours and another about  
6 hours. *the G-boys try and hide from Shammy* Me listening to BGC music...  
*cackles evilly*  
  
1+2/2+1... ^_^ Shounen ai... yaoi soon? Maaaaaybe. AU, fantasy, TWT.  
Comments! Please!!!!!!!!!!  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 12  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
Duo moaned as Heero's tongue made war with his own. The other boy's   
warmth was almost more than he could take. This was something that he had   
wanted for so long.. but hadn't taken because he had been afraid. Now he   
wasn't afraid. He wasn't afraid because no one could hurt him. Not even the   
boy before him.   
  
It felt even better when Heero pulled Duo to him, meshing their bodies  
together and building the hunger that Duo had kept inside him so long because  
of fear. A fear that was now gone that he had control. Everything he ever   
wanted- he was going to have. Everything he ever longed for.   
  
It was then that he felt a slight change in the wind behind him. It   
wasn't enough for him to really take notice, but the pain that suddenly hit  
him in the shoulder was enough to make him scream.  
  
Blood! Blood that was so warm, that had been coarsing inside him,   
flowed through the shoulder wound that he had recieved. He broke off the   
kiss with Heero, pushing the other boy away and realizing how much it hurt  
to do so. Every muscle that he moved in his left arm hurt. In fact, every-  
where his blood touched burned. His blood felt like hot lava on his skin.   
  
Whirling around and ignoring the pain, he realized that the eyes of   
the Delos' were now on him. In fact, everyone one there was looking at him.   
He didn't like the look in their eyes either- they wanted to take his   
control away from him! To make him weak again!  
  
Facing the doorway, Duo was not surprised to see NightMare there.   
Somehow he knew in the back of his head- the part that was still sensable-  
that the Holy Fire had been to call NightMare in the first place. He   
remembered hearing the Delos' talking about it.   
  
How come he didn't remember this before?  
  
"You," he hissed, voice sounding strangely disoriented. He clutched   
his shoulder, wincing as the pain grew. The blood only ran through his hands,  
marking them as stained as the dark red liquid ran its path down Duo's body.  
  
NightMare did not respond to him the way he thought she would. Instead,  
the alicorn had a almost furious look in her dark eyes as she lowered her   
horn as a threat if Duo moved. Although all of Duo's instincts told him that  
she wasn't going to hurt him, the painful wound in his shoulder proved him  
wrong. He wasn't going to take that chance again.   
  
It was in the corner of his eye that he saw Artemis rush forward and   
he craned his head to see what she was doing, trying not to take his eyes   
off of NightMare. Seeing her armed with a bucket of boiling water made his   
blood turn cold. "No! Don't!" He shouted, but could see that it didn't stop  
the raven haired girl as she threw the water on top of the Holy Fire, putting  
out the bright flames.  
  
The last thing that Duo was aware of was how pitiful the ashes of the   
once-bright fire looked.   
  
And the feel of Heero as Wing's pilot caught the falling boy.  
  
  
  
Heero rushed forward when he saw Duo's eyes roll back as his body go  
limp. He caught the long-haired boy just before he could hit the ground,   
having to drop to his knees to do so. The wound on Duo's shoulder, which had  
been bleeding so much just moments ago, seemed to slow and almost stop.   
  
So that was why Duo was behaving this way? The fire?  
  
Heero looked up from the precious bundle he held in his arms to the   
alicorn that stood in the doorway, Duo's blood on her black horn. The alicorn  
looked shamed, although there was a bright fire of fury that Heero could see  
that eminated from her.   
  
It was one of the Witches- Diana, he guessed, that stopped Heero from   
threatening the Elysian creature.   
  
"Alicorn. We've sent for you." the small blonde girl said quietly.   
"We are here to tell you of important news."  
  
^So important that you had to place my charge through Cold Fire?^   
NightMare snapped at her, tossing her long mane side to side. She looked   
restless, her legs taking small steps front and back, as if unable to decide  
whether she wanted to stay or flee. ^You're lucky I got here in time!^  
  
"Yes, but there was no other way of calling on Elysian other than in  
times of distress to the soul." Diana said flatly. Heero's head perked up   
at the news. Distress to the soul? That's it, Duo was *never* going anywhere   
else without knowing *exactly* what was happening and why it was happening.   
  
^So you'd risk sending his soul to the Void?^ NightMare was pissed.   
^Are you here to save souls, or to destroy them?^  
  
"We're here to ask you to send a message to the Angels." Diana   
continued, ignoring NightMare's obvious distress for Duo. "It's souls that   
we are trying to save, those souls that have been disappearing- unless there   
was something going on in Elysian which prevented the Angels and other   
creatures there to see clearly?"  
  
NightMare back up a few steps, standing outside the doorway now. ^There  
has been a few problems.^  
  
"Enough that the souls of the deceased start disappearing?" Diana   
pressed.  
  
^Enough for that.^ NightMare admitted. ^One of the Angels has dis-  
appeared.^ There was a slight hesitation. ^The ranks are causing chaos,   
thinking that someone has stolen an Angel from Elysian. Even if that Angel  
had already been banished.^  
  
"All this conflict over a blanished Angel?" Diana flat tone was   
starting to waver, showing disbelief. It wasn't hard to see that she was   
disgusted to know which souls had higher rank. "What about the hundred souls  
that disappeared? And is disappearing at the moment?"  
  
^There's nothing I can do for them,^ NightMare snapped. ^If they'd   
disappeared into the Void, no one can get them back.^ She knelt down her   
front legs in the grass and lowered her head slight. ^Soldier Heero, come   
here. I will take both you and my charge home.^  
  
Leto stepped before her niece and spoke, "Can you at least get the   
message that we carry to the Angels? That there are souls dying here?"  
  
Heero had walked over to NightMare and had climbed on her back,   
stradling Duo in his arms as his legs tightened around the black mare. Night-  
Mare stood up and gave her wings an experimental flap. Satisfied, she backed  
up a few steps and looked directly at the Delos'.  
  
^They already know.^  
  
With a few flaps of her wings, NightMare and the boys disappeared.  
  
  
  
^You have something to ask me.^  
  
Heero looked up at the mare, who had turned to face him. He persued his  
lips, and placed Duo gently on the bed, moving the boy's hands away from his  
shirt. "Aa."  
  
NightMare lay down on the carpet between the beds and the table where   
Heero's laptop was, and folded her wings around her. ^Ask. I have time.^  
  
Heero was rummaging through the cabinates, looking for the first aid  
that they had around somewhere. Finally finding it, he put it under his arm  
and went into the bathroom, coming back a second later with a pot of water   
and a towel. He lay the items on the floor and knelt down besides Duo's   
bed, beginning to tend to the wound.   
  
NightMare watched all this intently, studying the soldier. Her horn was  
now clean, perhaps through the mysterious flight that NightMare had initiated  
when she said she would take them 'home'. ^You care about him a lot, do you  
not?^  
  
Wringing the water out, Heero dabbed at Duo's wound and pressed a hand  
on Duo's forehead when it looked like the boy would be tossing around. He   
quickly cleaned around the wound and placed the towel back in the water   
again. There were pink swirls that were beginning to appear. "Yes."  
  
^He does, you know.^ NightMare said quietly.   
  
Heero stopped washing the towel out and looked at her, eyes   
questioning.   
  
^What you're thinking. He does. As much as you do.^  
  
"Aa." Heero went through the first aid and gave out with some bandages.  
"Thank you for telling me."  
  
^You don't need to hear it from me,^ NightMare admolished. She   
continued to stare at the two. ^It's useless when it's from me.^  
  
"I'll hear it when he's ready." Heero said softly.  
  
^Hn. Are you ready?^  
  
"Yes."  
  
^Then tell him.^  
  
Heero stayed quiet, bandaging the wound and making a makeshift arm   
sling for Duo, lifting his head slightly at times.  
  
^There will be a trial coming on. There's always a price when you some-  
thing. Except for love. There's no price for love. That's what Duo need to   
know.^ NightMare almost sighed, and stood up again. ^When you... the both of  
you... need me, I will come. You don't have to go through the Cold Fire to   
call me. I'm always watching.^  
  
Heero didn't turn to look at her again, but knew that she was know   
gone. That was how the alicorn was, he supposed.   
  
Seeing that he had finished cleaning the wounds, he stopped for a   
moment. Just watching Duo. There was a joy about watching the other boy that  
Heero couldn't really describe.  
  
He sighed also, and went back to his tending.  
  
*I might be ready to say it, but are you ready to hear it, Duo?*  
  
  
  
Cold. It was so cold.   
  
Duo curled up on the bed, dimmly aware of his surroudings. He huddled  
with his arms drawn protectively around his middle, nearing jerking the   
make-shift sling out of place and ignoring the pain that movement caused.   
  
"How is Maxwell?"  
  
That was Wufei, Duo's fuzzled mind provided. Wonder why he's asking   
how I am? I'm just really cold....  
  
"Same."  
  
There was an adjustment to the blankets around him. Duo could feel   
hands tucking in the blankets, and then adding another layer of warmth on   
top of the thin sheets. He relaxed slightly, burying his face into the   
pillow in search for more warmth.   
  
"Quatre's gone to L4."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Trowa's gone with him."  
  
There was silence this time. Duo could almost swear that he heard a   
muffled curse. But he quickly dismissed it as a warm towel was added on his  
forehead, nearly making him sigh in relief.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Duo felt a slight shift in the bed and leaned into the hand that was   
pressed against his neck. Checking his pulse and temperature, he supposed.  
But then, his mind was really muddled at the moment...  
  
"I'm not asking again, Yuy. He's freezing."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then answer the question."  
  
The venum in Wufei's voice made Duo tense up all over again. He wasn't  
sure if the room had dropped or raised ten degrees... He heard a chair by   
his bed creak slightly. There was a hesitation.  
  
"The Delos' are Witches."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"The Delos' are Witches."  
  
"I heard you the first time," Wufei snapped.  
  
"Then why'd you ask?" Duo could almost see the smirk on Heero's face,  
and for a moment wondered if Heero had been hanging around him too much.   
  
There was movement on the bed before Duo heard Wufei speak again.   
"Zechs knew."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So something happened to Duo." Duo heard the repessed anger in Wufei's  
voice. "Weren't you supposed to be with him at all times?"   
  
There was no response.  
  
"Nataku help me, Yuy, if you *allowed* Duo to get hurt-"  
  
"I didn't!" The voice was nothing but a soft hiss, but enough for Wufei  
to register the warning behind it. "I didn't know!"  
  
While Duo slowly regained his senses again, he felt the absense of   
Wufei's weight from the bed.  
  
"Quatre and Trowa will be back tomorrow." Shenlong's pilot sounded as   
tense as a plucked wire. "We'll discuss this then. After Duo wakes up."  
  
"Fine." Duo could just *see* Heero's annoyance. "Good night."  
  
There was an intense pause. "Same here."  
  
There was soft footfalls in the thick carpetted floor, and then Duo   
heard the door shut. There was silence for a few continuous minutes before  
the lights were shut and Duo heard bedcovers being drawn back. There was a   
shuffling noise and then a sigh before the sounds disappeared.  
  
Duo didn't move.  
  
It had to be an entire hour later before he actually got up the   
strength to open his eyes. The first thing that Duo saw was the full moon   
outside. It was a cloudless night, and the stars were bright in the night   
sky. Had long had he been unconcious? Everything ached... his left shoulder   
was throbbing dully against the warm covers.   
  
Duo moved his head downward slightly and nearly hissed in pain as he   
saw the blood-covered bandages that covered his shoulder.   
  
Shit. That was one messy wound.  
  
He shivered slightly in the warmth of the room, goosebumps running up  
his skin where the blankets had untucked itself by his slight movement. It   
wasn't even that cold, damnit! In fact, Duo was sure it was very warm for a  
spring night, and knew that the temperature must have been 75 degrees or  
above at the moment.   
  
The Holy Fire. It had to be. That freezing fire had numbed him inside  
and out. He didn't think that the blankets actually caught any warmth at all.  
He wasn't sure if he emmited any warmth at all at the moment.   
  
Giving in the a small sigh, he turned his face away and in one great   
heap of strength, sat up and twisted and legs out of bed.  
  
He gasped, closing his eyes tightly as lights began to dance in his   
vision. He must have lost a lot of blood... he remembered the hot liquid   
flooding down his body, not stopping until his cold body had been emersed in  
the burning coppery fluid. He felt as if he had been bled dry. Bled to clense  
the fire. The so-called Holy Fire.  
  
Finally opening his eyes when his pain had gone back to a throb, he   
realized that the night air was doing nightmares on his bare arms. He felt as  
if they had been doused in cold water for a last few minutes that he had been  
out of bed.   
  
Shivering, Duo searched for the outline of the door in the darkness,   
but was distracted by eyes opening on their own accord.  
  
Eyes quickly leaving the inanimate object and settling on the person   
who was looking right back at him, Duo shivered again- this time not able   
to tell whether is was because of the cold or those eyes.  
  
Seeing Duo shiver, Heero lifted the covers, scooting over almost to the  
edge of the small bed.   
  
Duo looked at him for a moment, head cocked to one side. Then after a  
wordless message was sent, he smiled gratefully and stood up slowly, letting  
his arm hang in the sling. Walking the short steps that distanced the two   
beds, Duo climbed in gratefully, smile growing as he hit the warm spot in-  
side.   
  
After seeing Duo settled in, Heero shifted and tucked the covers under  
Duo from the inside of the blanket, and pulled the cold boy closer for body  
heat. Duo accepted the awkward embrase and snuggled closer to the heat, his  
body unable to provide any himself.  
  
Staying like that, the two boys soon fell asleep, basking in each   
other's presense and holding each other tight throughout the entire night.  
  
  
End part 12.  
  
  
*bounces around* whatd'ya think?! Whatd'ya think?! Oooohh, we had that   
stupid high school exit exams today. Freakin' five hours of testing!!   
*grumbles, grumbles* At least it's only English today, though. Next week is  
Math. *pales* ANY-way.... this took FOREVER to do! Donno why. I liked this   
part. Well! Laterz! ^_~.  
  
And to those who responded to this fic..... WAI!!! Thank you so very much!!!  
People who read this are the reason I write it... ^_^ My inspiration!!  
Thank you!! 


	13. part 13

Started: March 8, 2001  
Finished: March 12, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: *bounce, bounce* The G-boys don't belong to me... *bounce* they  
are property of Bandai... *bounce* and others...! *bounce*  
Duo: You're messing up the bed, Shamera! Stop jumping!!  
*pouts* ^^;;  
  
1+2/2+1. ^_^!! Don't you just love those two? Should know warnings by NOW...  
Comments and criticism very welcome! Flames used for marshmellows.  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 13  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
There was a beep on the intercom.  
  
"Treize-sama, you have a line from 'Daejin'. Should I connect him on  
for you?"  
  
Treize leaned over from the chair he was sitting on and pressed the   
buttom on his speaker. "No. Tell him to come up here directly."  
  
"Yes, sir." Lady Une replied, and then cut off the communcation.   
  
Treize leaned back into his chair again, eyes focusing on the shadow  
on his room. "I'll take it that you failed, Zechs."  
  
In the far corner of the room, Zechs stood up. "No, sir. We got through  
to Elysian and communicated with the alicorn."  
  
"Ah." The ginger-haired man lay his elbows on the armrests of the   
chair. "So it was an alicorn after all."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
There was a silence brought by the footsteps outside the door, and then  
a dark young man came in, quietly opening and shutting the doors as opposed   
to the violent manner of which he looked.   
  
Treize smiled faintly and addressed, "Daejin?"  
  
"Yes, Treize-sama," the man said as he turned. He had dark skin and   
deep black eyes. His shaggy hair was the only color on him, for it looked to   
be a light brown. "My name is Kouji, m'Lord."  
  
Treize waved a hand. "Sit. We will talk."  
  
Kougi eyed Zechs warily, but slinked over the the chair that Treize had  
waved at.   
  
"Do Daejin always sent children?" Treize asked.  
  
"Only children can survive this earth." Kouji explained. "Adults cannot  
walk on the ground which they see as a beauty. They'll die."  
  
"I understand." Treize waited for the child to say what he was supposed  
to. The demon was rather uncomfortable around these settings.  
  
"Sir, that information that was sent to us...." he figetted. "We have  
the key."  
  
"Information?" Treize asked.  
  
Zechs interrupted, "As soon as the Holy Fire was put out, the Delos'   
started immediantly on a connection to Daejin to inform the Demons of the   
information that they had learned."  
  
"Indeed." Treize sighed. "Am I the last the know of this?"  
  
"We thought you were the one who wanted the information!" Kouji cried,  
eyes wide. "We didn't know..."  
  
"It's quite alright, little one. This only means that we're ahead of   
scheduale. No harm done." Treize turned from the young demon to Zechs. "When  
did you give them this information?"  
  
"Just a day ago, sir." Zechs replied, his mask hiding anything that he  
was trying to express. "They worked very fast, sir."  
  
Treize nodded. "Can you tell me what the information was and what 'key'  
you were talking about, Kouji?"  
  
Kouji nodded eagerly. "A day ago, we were sent a message about someone  
having stolen a banished Angel and that may have been the cause for all the   
chaos in Elysian. The Elders started to work immediantly.   
  
"A few hours later, someone from the history department reported that   
were was a ten year gap in the time that everyone forgot about. They, of   
course, were talking about the Conosere Battle. There's a very big   
possibility that it was where the banished Angel ended up. It's out biggest  
lead by far. Since the Angels do not check more than their own ranks every   
2 thousand years, the timing's about right."  
  
"The Battle of Conosere..." Treize whispered, eyes darkening at the   
mention of the bloody war. "Yes, there's a very big possibility. There were   
many who were lost in the battle, yes?"  
  
"Yes. The Elders decided, after reaching 135 deaths, that they couldn't  
wait for the Angels to figure this out. They chanced it and took a time key  
from the Barriers." Kouji held up a small, metal key as proof. "They told me  
to get this to you and that you would know what to do with it."  
  
A time key. Treize had never seen one before, let alone operated one.  
How was he supposed to know what to do with it?  
  
Treize accepted the key that Kouji handed to him, fingering it and   
tracing lines over the rough edges. He narrowed his eyes as he felt small   
pulsebeats comeing from it. "This is a time key?"  
  
"Yes. If you don't know how to use it, all you have to do is find some  
sort of history book or so and place the key inside the book. There should  
be a time portal appearing within a minute or so." Kouji nodded to himself,   
confirming what he had said with his thoughts. "But the difficult thing   
would be to find a book that records the ten lost years. It won't be in any  
sort of history book. That's what you're going to have to do by yourself."  
  
"Aa." Treize continued to finger the key for a few more moments, then  
waved a hand to dismiss Kouji. "Thank you. I think I have a idea on what to  
do. You can go back to your family now."   
  
Kouji bowed in thanks and backed up two steps, then shimmered and   
disappeared into the air.  
  
Pointing the end of the key at Zechs, Treize asked calmly, "Do you   
think that you can get the Gundam pilots to trust you again? We might need   
their help with this."  
  
Zechs did not comment.  
  
  
  
"I don't understand," Quatre was saying. "The entire family of the   
Delos were witches? I thought there were no such thing."  
  
"I don't know." Duo shrugged. "They said that they couldn't really do  
a lot of things other than the Holy Fire. Personally, I think that they   
*don't* like doing what they're able to. Diana certainly seemed aggitated   
enough about the thought of having to make a Holy Fire. She even seemed   
angry about it to an extent. All of them did."  
  
"Then why did they do that?" Wufei asked from where he was sitting on   
a chair that had been pulled into the group, voice irritated. He was glaring   
about Heero while his lips had been set into a grim line.   
  
"They said something about their duty." Duo said in a monotone. He was  
tired, and was still slightly cold. Although he had been warm when he slept   
with Heero yesterday, (and no, he wasn't ashamed about that) Duo felt as if  
he could still use a few more hours of just lying on the bed, whether he was  
asleep or not. But tomorrow would be Monday, and school started again   
tomorrow. Not that he was going to go tomorrow, tests go screw themselves...  
  
Quatre was sitting next to Trowa, frowning. The blond boy at the moment  
looked too much like Diana for Duo's tastes. Or was it the other way around?  
He really didn't want to think about it at the moment. But he was sure that  
he would freak out if one day Quatre decided to dress up as a witch for   
Halloween. Lucky for him, he knew that Quatre wasn't so cruel...  
  
The Delos' was another matter....  
  
"But another matter was that I was stupid enough to go in the fire like  
they asked." Duo shuddered at the memory, then offered a shaky grin. "I kinda  
thought that the fire was safe since I touched it and it didn't burn me."   
  
"You went in the fire?" Quatre deadpanned. The others weren't better   
off, including Heero.   
  
Duo laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Well, yeah,   
something like that." Damn, he couldn't lie here. "I guess it was a spur of  
the moment thing... and I've learned never to do that again!"  
  
"That doesn't explain why your arm is in a sling." Wufei pointed out.   
"Or what happened after the fire."  
  
Trowa nodded, making a muffled sound of agreement.   
  
"Well." Duo's eyes searched out for Heero's pleadingly, as if asking  
the other boy to do something to take him off the spotlight. No help there.  
  
Duo wrinkled his nose at Heero, and turned back to the others. "You   
heard how I talked to you about how they called upon a creature from the   
Angel World using the Holy Fire."  
  
"You said Guardian, Duo." Trowa pointed out gently.   
  
"Yeah. Guardian." With a deep sigh, Duo shifted his position on the   
couch, and carefully rearranged the bandages to his arm sling, fingers   
fidelling with the linen. "The fire was to call your Guardian." He considered  
his next few sentences thoughtfully. *Guess what, guys, my Guardian just   
happens to be an alicorn! Isn't that awsome?*  
  
"The fire called Duo's alicorn." Heero spoke impassively.  
  
Duo slumped in relief, giving Heero a wink and a smile.  
  
"Say what?" Quatre said.  
  
Duo looked innocently at the blond boy, but was rewarded with a   
slightly annoyed look that told Duo that if Quatre could give looks like that  
also, there was no use trying to fool him.   
  
"You have an alicorn, Duo?" Even Wufei seemed slightly concerned.  
  
Duo blinked, then cringed back. "Hey! There's nothing wrong with that!"  
he defended himself. The others didn't look convinced. "I don't think that   
you should believe everything that Zechs said," Duo huffed. "Personally, I   
don't see anything wrong with an alicorn. In fact, I got to meet her!"  
  
Trowa raised an eyebrow, which pretty much summed up all the emotion   
in the room.   
  
"Well, okay," Duo conceeded. "She's the one who gave me the shoulder   
wound I have, but that was only to help me!"  
  
The curiousity in the room only continued to raise.   
  
After a few moments of realizing that this was going to be a very   
complicated story that he needed to tell from the beginning, Duo sighed.  
  
And in the next half hour, he told of all the times he could remember  
coming to be with NightMare, and how she was always there after a tragic   
event. Not that he would tell them the events. He just told them of how she  
was there.   
  
So he also ended up telling them about how he had been changed by the   
fire, and left out the parts with Heero, as he saw the other boy shifting   
uncomfortablely in the couch. Oooh, he was going to have to resolve this   
later.   
  
"So you're saying that she came and you passed out?" Wufei asked.  
  
Duo turned red. "Hey, if you were loosing as much blood as I was..."  
He warned Wufei. "It wasn't as if I could stay awake for long, anyway!"  
  
"So you don't know what happened?" Quatre asked.  
  
"I do."  
  
They all looked at Heero.   
  
The said boy in question was looking rather thoughtful. Yes, he still  
had an expressionless mask on, but by now all the others could sort of see  
through that. Heero looked like he had given a lot of thought about this.  
  
"She said that the Angels already knew what was going on." Heero   
explained. "Said that all this was because of an banished Angel that they   
lost. The Delos' were upset when she said that."  
  
The waited for more. A few minutes later, they realized that this was   
all that went on while Duo had been unconcious. So much for a detailed   
version of the story.   
  
"But if the Angels already knew about it, why aren't they doing some-  
thing about this?" Quatre asked, his voice full of worry. He had also seen  
the same things that Duo had seen, just to a certain extent. He had seen   
those creatures, and had seen them die.   
  
Seeking out Trowa's hand, Quatre allowed himself to slump back tiredly.  
He didn't want to deal with this. After getting back from his home colony,  
he had a lot to think about, and he didn't want to have to deal with some-  
thing like this when he was already so stressed. When they were all already  
so stressed.  
  
"I don't know." Duo said softly. He was looking over at Heero, who in  
turn, was looking back at Duo. "I just heard about this right now."  
  
Heero turned his gaze on to a nearby wall.  
  
"Could it be that the Angels can't do anything about it? Or that they  
don't want to do anything about it?" Duo asked.  
  
No one said a word for a long while.  
  
  
  
The time key.   
  
Zechs could feel the heat that the metal was giving off even through  
the thick pouch on his side. He had taken off the mask so that he could walk  
freely among civilians without them having to stare at him in discomfort. As  
much as he wanted to hide himself, he didn't like that feeling. It made him   
feel like an outcast and that he would never be able to fit in.   
  
So here he was. Without his mask, and outside the door to the small   
house that the Gundam pilots were currantly staying in. He still remembered  
the first time he had been there, and how he had been so nervous up to the   
point that he was scared- to directly face _all_ the Gundam pilots alone.   
Facing one or two he could take, but if they had not listened to him, he   
would have been facing all of them. Alone.  
  
Now... now he wasn't scared. He had the certainty that they were not   
going to be able to harm him. But he was worried. He had known about the   
Holy Fire. He knew they were going to ask him about that, and he still needed  
their trust into doing things. If the Angels were not going to help out, then  
they had to take the situation into their own hands.   
  
Checking himself mentally, Zechs pressed on the doorbell. He would not  
be downed by mere children. Just because he needed their help didn't mean   
too much to him. It was Treize that requested him to do this. Besides, he   
didn't want to go back to the Battle of Conosere.   
  
This time it was 04 who answered the door.  
  
The seagreen eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
  
Holding up the pouch and making sure that the boy before him couldn't   
see anything inside it, Zechs pointedly raised an eyebrow. "I have something  
that you might be able to find use for."  
  
And he watched 04's eyes follow the bag and widen at the sight of   
something magical inside. The boy would be able to see just how powerful a   
magic makes the time key.   
  
He would make sure that they all saw.   
  
He might need their help with whatever was happening, but it didn't   
mean that all of a sudden they weren't enemies.   
  
Ohh, no.  
  
He only needed their help for a little while, afterall.  
  
Besides, the treaty didn't last too long.  
  
  
End part 13.  
  
Oh, and sorry this took forever. I started this part about 10 times, and   
deleted it thinking that I was going too slow. So I went straight to the time  
key. I guess it didn't come out as well I thought it might. _ Man! I hope I'm  
not getting writers' block at this point in the story!! It's injustice, I tell  
you! 


	14. part 14

Started: March 14, 2001  
Finished: March 17, 2001  
  
Disclaimers: As always, the G-boys belong to Bandai... that hasn't changed in  
the past day... as much as I wished for it. Damnit! What happened to the   
Force doing things for me? I've concentrated on that pencil for ten minutes  
at the very least! @_@  
  
1+2/2+1. As always. ^_^ Comments VERY welcome and encouraged!  
  
Oy! New stuff here. /// = past, or memories. Got it? Good.  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 14  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
///Violet eyes passed through the crowd of younger children gathered   
besides him. Hands held tight to his own as he watched the battle going on   
before him. The wards were breaking. It wasn't hard to tell. In fact, you   
could even see the cracks that the wards were making. See the slight shadows  
that surrounded them and had the children crying. It was so hard... so hard   
not to break down and cry himself. But he had to be strong. He had to be   
strong for the children. For his mate.   
  
Blue eyes turned onto him and smiled gently at him behind the mask of  
terror and fear. They were both only eighteen. Had been married only two days  
ago. They had been eight when everything started to happen....   
  
And now, this was the end. He knew it. The others knew it. While the   
Angels were fighting outside, the Void had managed to creep in on their   
circle that the mythical creatures had erected. The wards wouldn't be able  
to hold out for long.   
  
The only regret was to never see his Guardian again... His beloved   
Guardian, who was still outside fighting the battle and didn't know what was  
happening. Wouldn't know until it was too late.   
  
But he would go bravely. Perhaps if he were brave, he would be able to  
get some of the younger children out. Get most of the babies away from the  
Void. Distract them somehow, maybe.   
  
He was afraid. Oh, so afraid. He didn't want to be because he knew that  
it was a feeling that gave the Void power. But he couldn't help it. He knew  
that the others in the circle couldn't help it either. The sight of the   
shadows gathering around them, like sharks in the water... the thought of   
losing his soul instead of passing to a happy afterlife.   
  
He would do it for his mate. He was do it for the children that they  
had taken care of all their lives. He had to do it somehow... find a way to   
keep the children safe.   
  
The Lady was standing behind him. She placed a hand on his shoulder   
and shook her head sadly, letting pale brown hair creep out from the tight  
braids that she always wore. The Lady was the oldest child in the village,  
being only 23. She had been subjected the harsh payments when she had tried  
to take the children in under her wing, but was rewarded kindly as the child-  
ren slowly grew up and understood how they benefitted from her strict   
disipline.   
  
"I know what you're think of." she said softly to him. "Don't. You   
don't have to. They will get back in time. They will succeed." There were   
tears in her eyes. "Don't give up so soon."  
  
He craned his neck to look up at her. Smiled. "I'm not giving up. But  
this is something that I feel I have to do if the Void does break in. It   
wouldn't be fair to end the lives of children whom have barely started to   
live. I've seen happiness. That means, there may be some hope that I will not  
end up in the Void. Don't give up yourself, m'Lady."  
  
The tears in her eyes threatened to spill over, but she only bowed her  
head at him. "You have courage, little one."  
  
His mate squeezed his hand tightly, and he looked over to those cobalt  
blue eyes. There was a hidden depth in there, one that only he could see.  
  
"If you're going," his mate whispered. "Then I'm going with you."  
  
He opened his mouth to argue, then realized that the hidden depth in   
those eyes at the moment were nothing but love and devotion. The kind of   
love you knew would last forever, and the kind of love that would follow   
past Death, and perhaps, past the Void.   
  
For a moment they looked into each other's eyes, and everything was   
alright. It was for that moment that he smiled and tilted his head, not   
breathing out an answer but speaking only with their eyes.   
  
"I can't stop you, can I?" He asked, and took the look of amusement   
in the blue eyes as an answer.   
  
He looked back at the wards. The babies were crying now. There were   
red cracks in the wards that the most magical of creatures had tried to   
create in such a sort time. It looked like broken glass. It looked like   
hopelessness.  
  
"I love you, you know that?" He asked quietly, not caring as to who   
heard or not.  
  
"Aa. Of course I do. I love you too." Again, the grasp on his hand was  
solid, and he was able to smile as suddenly the walls of the ward broke...  
  
...and shattered.  
  
"Because of that, I will die in peace." he whispered silently.///  
  
**NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOT AGAIN!!! YOU CAN'T! YOU CAN'T!!!!! DON'T DO   
THIS TO ME! NOT AGAIN!!!!**  
  
  
  
So once again Zechs Marquise stood in the living room with the rest  
of the Gundam pilots. This time, instead of having a mask and being nervous,  
he was without his mask yet he was not nervous. Somehow he managed to keep  
his cool.   
  
"So you're saying," Duo's voice was starting to hitch. "A few weeks  
after you told us to contact and get a message to _Angels_, by the way,   
*which we did*, you now want us to go back in time?! What the hell is this,  
the X-Files?! After we finished this mission, would you like for us to wipe  
out the entire vampire population?! Or maybe bust the aliens out of OZ?"  
  
Zechs raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware of aliens in OZ."  
  
"That's besides the point!"  
  
"I think what Duo's trying to say," Quatre explained softly, rubbing  
his temple. "Is that you're exposing us to the supernatural too fast. We   
have barely come to accept that there's different worlds in the afterlife  
and that we were to contact that we used to think were nothing but religious  
infragments before you tell us there you have a time key that will help us  
travel through time?"  
  
"Something like that," Zechs said drily.   
  
Duo only groaned from where he was sitting, partly from the ache that   
the thought caused in his head, or the dull throb of his arm that served as  
a reminder of what happened the last time he decided to help.  
  
"Things have gotten complicated." Zechs tried to explain. "At first the  
mission-" there was a low growl from Duo across the room at the usage of the  
word, "was simple. Contact that Angels and leave it up to them. But now we   
have to solve the situation ourselves."  
  
"Then why don't you solve it *yourselves*?" Wufei managed to drawl out.  
He had his arms crossed across his chest and was glaring for all he was worth  
at the blonde OZ pilot. "Why do you need us to do this? We are not going to   
do the dirty work of OZ!"  
  
"I would do this myself," Zechs said, "If I could."  
  
Wufei continued to glare at him.   
  
"Those older than seventeen can't cross the time barriers without dying  
automatically. Just like demons over seventeen can't touch the Earth without  
destroying their souls. It is a strange policy, but one done to honors those  
who died in Conosere."  
  
"Conosere?" Trowa asked, echoing the question that they all had but   
were too proud to inquire. The others shot him a thankful glance.   
  
"Where you'll be going." Zechs explained. "Medieval Europe. You won't  
have to worry about communication, though. When you're going to be going,   
there are creatures there who have the magic to communicate."  
  
"What do you mean?" Quatre asked.  
  
"The years that you're travelling to is called the ten lost years. It's  
the ten years that history didn't record because no one remembers it.   
Conosere was once the most magical focus on Earth. It no longer exists. In   
fact, it never really exists."  
  
"Then how are we supposed to go back?" Wufei challenged. But anyone   
could hear that the arguement was now won.   
  
Ten years that history forgot.... 'ten missing years in history that   
no one knew about during the Medieval times, when the Black Death struck fear  
into the hearts of everyone and no one even bothered to count the deaths   
anymore.'  
  
Duo turned away from the arguement that Wufei was putting up with   
Zechs, and looked out the small window that served in that room. He suddenly  
felt clastuaphobic, and needed to get out of the small house. He had to have  
time to think about the remaining puzzle pieces that he had just recieved.  
  
Heero gave Duo a worried look. After a few seconds where Duo sat   
frozen, looking out the window and oblivious to whatever people were saying,  
Heero finally stood up. "We're going out."  
  
Zechs and Wufei stopped arguing and stared at him.   
  
Heero didn't give them a chance to say anything before he gently tugged  
on Duo's arm, indicating for the boy to get up. After Duo having done so, he  
lead the boy out the room room and out of the house, ignoring the stammering  
that he was recieving because of the action.  
  
  
  
"Where are you going, Duo?"  
  
Duo didn't stop nor turn, his hand clasped with Heero's tightly,   
leading them down the streets towards his destination. What Zechs said...  
that town, Conosere. From what he had read last time, about the Battle...  
the might be thrown directly into the war between the Worlds. Was that what  
Zechs wasn't telling them? He had to make sure... he was missing something   
here. Something about that missing Angel that Heero had talked about. Some-  
thing about that woman and the alicorn....  
  
"Duo!"   
  
Duo jerked to a stop as he was whirled around to face Heero's worried  
cobalt blue eyes.  
  
The worried look there was only intensified as Heero saw the slightly  
manic shine in Duo's eyes, trying to figure out a puzzle that he couldn't   
figure out yet due to insufficant data.  
  
"Duo." His voice sounded normal now, in that same monotone and slightly  
nasal words. "Where are we going?"  
  
Where-? Duo blinked, then looked over Heero's shoulder to see where   
they were. A bit far away from the house, that was for sure. All he knew is  
that there was a piece of information that he had missed, that he could have  
found if he had been paying a bit more attention.   
  
"What?" He asked dumbly.  
  
"Where are you taking us, Duo?" Heero spoke softly, his tone changing  
to that of trying to calm a frightened doe.   
  
Duo gave that thought some processing. He was still working so much to  
trying to solve what he had that he was ignoring the other parts of his   
brain for a few moments. "Library."  
  
"Then we just went past it." Heero explained, and this time tugged Duo  
away instead of the other way around. "Come."   
  
Duo followed reluctantly.   
  
"Tell me that you're think about." Heero said gently.  
  
Duo blinked for several minutes as they got to the library and entered  
it, Heero finding them a table at the far corner so that they could get some  
privacy. It was the same table that he had sat at last time.  
  
"What Zechs said..." Duo started, painfully aware that there were much  
more people in the library this time than last time. His voice was barely   
above a whisper, taking painstaking care that no one would be able to hear   
him. "What he said... that he wanted us to go back to ten years that was   
never recorded in history... about how we're going back to somewhere called  
Conosere... Yesterday, when you were asking me what was wrong? Before Zechs  
came to tell us about the Holy Fire? I had gone to the library the day before  
that. I found a book... something about the ten lost years in history.   
  
"It was something about how demons and mythical creatures appeared on   
Earth for ten years." Duo launched into telling Heero all about what he had  
learned about those ten years, about what happened to the children of   
Conosere and all the way up the the battle between the Angels and the Void.  
  
"It said that there was an Angel that had been banned from the Angel   
World because she had broken the barriers. I'm not sure if that's the   
banished Angel that you were talking about, but it could be." Duo narrowed  
his eyes at something unseen in the distance. "I'm missing something, though.  
I know it. There's something else to this story that I don't know about.   
Zechs wasn't telling the complete truth. Why does he need *us* to go back?  
He could easily find cadets training for war under seventeen and make them  
go back. Why us?"  
  
Heero didn't respond, processing the information that he had just been  
given. "There could be a good chance that we could die if we go back. Perhaps  
it is because of that. To get rid of the problem, and to get rid of us. With-  
out loosing his honor."  
  
"That's the best that I could come up with. But I'm not really sure  
about that one. If it were so easy, any one of us could have easily figured  
that out. He knows that we aren't stupid." Duo bit his lower lip. "I'm   
missing something... I know I am. But what?"  
  
"Maybe it's something that you haven't read." Heero suggested.   
  
"It could be..." Duo admitted bashfully. "I didn't read the whole   
thing. I guess I kinda got disgusted with it after a while. Help me find it   
again?"  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow at Duo, a hint of a smirk on his lips.   
  
Duo smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."  
  
  
  
///They were too late.  
  
She looked upon the bodies of all the children that she had never   
before seen, yet knew all her life. Dead. Everyone of them.   
  
Actually, there were children who survived. There were those who will   
live on with no memory of this war, without knowing the sacrafices that the   
other children gave for them, with no memory of the love that they had   
gained over the last ten years.   
  
"It's a chance for them to start all over," she tried to say to   
herself. "A chance for them to live the lives that they were supposed to   
live."  
  
But it was hard to keep thinking that when she saw another body lying  
on the ground. Another soul that had been stolen by the Void. Another soul  
that was never coming back.   
  
She had failed. Oh, she had failed miserably and deserved everything   
that her fellow Angels could take out on her. An eternity of torture would  
not be enough for the souls that she had lost.   
  
The soul that she had lost. Her child. Her charge.   
  
Dropping to her knees, unmindful of the blood and gore that was   
staining her body (she was more aware of the blood that was staining her   
soul), she reached out a hand to the child that she had once been assigned   
to protect. A child that she had protected over 2000 years later. How could  
this happen? This was impossible... especially when she had offered her   
powers- her very being to protect this one soul and have her child die 2000  
years before she had protected him. This was not possible....  
  
Letting out a cry of anger and sorrow, she took this child into her   
arms, holding this child tightly as she sobbed with self-contempt. She   
wept for the soul that was now dead, for the life that she had snuffed out   
because she had been too weak... to late.   
  
Hearing soft footfall behind her, she turned her tear stained face to   
a friends who had been with her ever since she had been a child.  
  
"Why?" she asked hoarsely, her grip tightening. "Why did this happen?  
How could this happen?"  
  
Her friend could only stand there, could offer her no answers in the   
search that she was going through.   
  
"I'd give *my* soul... I'd give my soul in exchange..." she whispered,  
turning her eyes once again to her charge. She brushed away stray locks of   
hair, and held the child tight to her.   
  
"I would. I'd give my soul up for this child. My sweet Dae. My sweet  
Duo."///  
  
  
  
End part 14.  
  
O_O;; Well, how many of you saw that one coming? I kinda freaked myself out  
the way she said that.... but basically, as always, things will be revealed  
in time. Like Duo said here, I'm giving random pieces of a puzzle that you   
*can't* figure out yet. If you can... well, shit, dude, you're either a   
complete genius or you can read my mind.   
  
As always, a-ri-ga-to!! My dear readers who have the patience to follow up   
on this story. *becomes teary-eyed* And reviews. You guys are my inspiration! 


	15. part 15

Started: March 26, 2001   
Finished: March 30, 2001  
  
Disclaimer: Boys don't belong to me. But the story plot does! And the Angels,  
and the past life characters, and everyone else. ^^;; But still, babysitting  
the G-boys is fun... others should try it sometimes! *winces as crashing   
sounds are heard in the background* ....really!  
  
1+2/2+1... used to be 1x2? AU, past lives, OOC, all that good stuff.  
C & C very, very welcome. ^_^ I don't really respond to the small reviews,   
but I always write back if someone emails me!  
  
  
Imminent Fate, part 15  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
Quatre looked out the window one more, about to give up with a sigh   
when he saw something moving at the end of the block. Blinking, he squinted  
at the figures, then left the window-seat and flew down the stairs, pounding  
his feet as loudly as he could on the steps to get everyone out. "They're   
back!"  
  
He saw Wufei poke his head out of his room curiously, eyes raised.   
  
Quatre threw open the door to the room that he and Trowa shared and   
dragged the started boy from where he had been sitting, reading a novel.   
  
"Heero and Duo are back," he offered as an explination and gave a   
shakey smile. "We still have to explain the situation to them..."  
  
Trowa gave a look at Quatre, and then nodded in consent, allowing the   
small Arabian boy to pull him into the kitchen.   
  
There was a slight clutter as the two said pilots appeared in the   
kitchen, having taken the way back as Quatre had predicted. They had dropped  
off a large, red-bound book onto the counter and were in the process of light  
chatter.   
  
Seeing Quatre with Trowa being dragged behind him stopped whatever   
conversation they were having.   
  
"Hey, Q," Duo said cheerfully, "What's up?"  
  
Quatre gave a small smile in return and said nothing, extending his   
hand to show them the time key and also offering it to them.   
  
Duo didn't react as badly as Quatre would have thought.   
  
"Aww, man, Quatre, you actually accepted that stupid thing? I guess   
we're going to be going back after all, huh?"  
  
With that said, Duo reached over and took the time key from Quatre,   
examining it as he turned it over and over with his hands. He gave into his  
interest and studied the key slowly, wondering what was so special about it  
besides the fact that it looked very old. Actually, it looked like any other   
key that had seen.   
  
There was nothing special as far as he could see. It was a key, with   
some grooves on the bottom to tell that it fitted in *something*, and and a   
hole on the top so it could be put into a keychain. Or something. The entire  
thing was an ugly grey color, reminding Duo of some really dull iron that   
had been made back in the stoneage. The kind that was so dull you wonder how  
it was ever made in the first place.   
  
"I don't remember how Zechs talked us into it," Quatre admitted   
guiltily. "It was something about showing us the images and describing to   
us how souls die-" he turned a bit pale with saying that, "and the rate that  
the deaths were occurring. I'm sorry about not consulting you two."  
  
Duo gave a secret smile. "That's alright, Quatre." He held up a finger  
and slowly wagged it side to side. "But you might want to think about it   
before you jump head-first. That was what happened to me." The secret smile  
was there again. "You might want to see some of the information that Heero  
and I brought back that Zechs might not have told you about."  
  
"Information?" Quatre asked dumbly.   
  
"Yeah. You know, like how to get back? Or where we're going, for that   
matter? If this is going to affect history and cause a time paradox?"  
  
Looking abashed, Quatre realized that he had jumped head-first into   
things and that he hadn't asked that at all. He had just felt the need to   
help and to stop these gruesome things that were happening like Zechs was   
describing them. "I didn't think about that..."  
  
Duo nodded. "I know. Kinda like me last time. But we have to figure  
out what's going on before we can actually follow through with whatever   
we're going to be doing."  
  
"No need."  
  
All the boys in the room turned towards the voice of Wufei, who was   
standing in the hallway with a smirk on his face and his arms crossed. "I've  
already asked about it."  
  
Wufei slantered into the room, looking smug and able to feel that way   
without the others interferring because he had a right to do so. "I was   
asking," he emphasized on 'asking', "Zechs about what the trip would do, and   
where we would go."   
  
He gave a sympathetic look to Quatre, "Sometimes we can't see beyond   
trying to help. That's a good thing, and I almost feel ashamed for seeing   
nothing but the tactical efforts of this trip."  
  
Quatre gave an abashed smile.   
  
"We won't be affecting history because we'll be going to the very end  
of the ten years that never affected history. It's around the end of the   
high middle ages, but we won't see much affect on the town that we're going   
to. Basically, he's going to drop us off at the beginning of a battle."   
Wufei was scowling. "We can't interfere with the battle, but he said that   
no matter what we did, we wouldn't be able to change the outcome anyway. So   
if we wanted to, we might be able to try and help."  
  
"Aa." Duo still looked slightly disturbed.  
  
"I don't know what he was babbering about afterwards," Wufei grumbled,   
"But he said something about the 'proof not able to change what had   
happened'?"  
  
The other boys automatically stored that to the back of their heads.   
There were a few uncomfortable shuffles as they realized about what was   
going to happen- really going to happen.   
  
"Do you know anything more?" Quatre asked.  
  
Wufei shook his head. "No. That was all that I got. Oh!" He smacked a   
fist into his hand, "We get back the same way we go. We're supposed to find a  
book on that time, and somehow let the key figure out what time period it's   
about. The book goes with us, and we get back here the same way," he shrugged  
and narrowed his eyes, "so we just have to figure out how to get back and   
it'll be the same way one the round trip."  
  
"You mean this book?" Duo pointed to the book that he had Heero had   
brought back. He sneaked a glance over to Heero and saw the other boy   
frowning over what Wufei had said.   
  
"You mean that's a book on the time that we're going to?" Quatre asked.   
"Wasn't that time supposed to be forgotten by history?"  
  
"Are you sure that we get back the same way?" Heero blurted out to   
Wufei, ignoring Quatre's question.   
  
Wufei looked to Heero. "Yes. If it isn't, he informed me that there   
are plenty of magical creatures there who will help us back. Like the Delos'  
and their inability to *not* interfere when it comes to one touched by   
Elysian, those creatures have to help us get back if we so wanted them to."  
He paused. "It's their duty."  
  
Duo blew out a breath through his hair and grinned. "Geez, Wufei, that   
sounds like you and your honor, doesn't it?"  
  
Wufei gave Duo a look. "This is serious, Maxwell. This is on account   
of us getting back. If we can't find a way to get back, we're going to be   
stuck there- with no one to fight to war for the colonys."  
  
Duo shut up.   
  
"Yes, there will be a way to get back." Wufei informed Heero. "We   
can't live in that time because after the time limit, we *would* be causing  
a time paradox and that's not allowed to happen."  
  
Heero nodded. "Aa. But the main point is the target. We have a target,   
I persume?"  
  
The boys looked around at each other before Duo spoke up, "How 'bout   
we find that Angel that was lost and tell him or her to go back? This is all   
because of that Angel, ne?" he cocked his head. "We go back, hopefully some   
time before the battle, and talk to those mythical creatures that Zechs was   
talking about, and then get them to help us. I'm sure that people would   
help if they only know what was happening."  
  
"Maybe. But there's still people who won't," Quatre warned.  
  
Duo faced Quatre, making a face. "You can't honestly say that. We're   
dealing with mythical creatures who have been taking care of children for   
about seven years."  
  
"...seven?" Trowa voiced, and they all, with the exception of Heero,   
looked over at Duo expectantly.   
  
"Oh!" Duo snapped his fingers, one hand going up to rub the back of   
his head as he gave a nervous chuckle. "You haven't seen the book yet." he   
indicated to the red-bound book that rested on the table. "It's a book on the   
years that we'll be going to."  
  
He waited a moment, and only watched as Quatre hesitated, then picked   
up the heavy book, arms testing out the weight of the leather bound album.   
The others were quiet, and for a moment Duo wondered about what they were all  
thinking about, knowing that they were about to go back in time. He knew that  
he was trying *not* to think about it, but also knew that he *had* to. Time   
travelled boggled him, but he still needed to concentrate on the fact that   
they had a mission to focus on.   
  
But maybe he should let the mission planning to Heero.   
  
Naaah. Dear boy would get them all killed if he wasn't careful. As long  
as the mission was fulfilled.   
  
Which reminded him...  
  
"You know," Duo interupted the introspective silence, "The Docs haven't  
sent us anything for the past few weeks. I'd have thought that they would   
have the thought that the perfect time to strike would be when OZ wasn't   
going to attack back."  
  
"I've been wondering that also," Wufei mused, eyeing the book in   
Quatre's hands. "But I haven't been able to contact them for a while. They're  
as far aways as the war is as of the moment. But they'll be back once the   
truce is over."  
  
Duo winced. "Oh great, we're going to get more missions immediantly   
after we complete this one." He sighed. "We shouldn't have agreed to continue  
as if nothing's happened after this...."  
  
"It was the only thing to agree to," Heero reminded him.   
  
"Doesn't mean I have to like it..." Duo muttered, then stretched.   
"Feel like getting this over with? Maybe we can go, fix the problem, and   
then come back with some time to spare... I mean, we'll tell Treize and   
Zechs that we finished this a week afterwards, 'kay? Then I might be able to  
have a week to sleep."  
  
"The key, Duo?" Quatre asked.   
  
"Eeh? What's that?"  
  
"The key." Quatre nodded to Duo's hand, where the long-haired boy still   
held the time key. Duo looked up and laughed nervously, putting down his   
arms and handing over the time key, which had been clutched in his left hand,  
to Quatre.   
  
"So we're going?" Quatre asked. He looked around the other boys.   
"There's no objections?" They shook their heads. "No objections to trying   
now, is there?" Again, they shook their heads.   
  
"Now's a good as a time as any. We're not really sleepy, at the peak   
of our energy, not really hungry.... on second thought, maybe we *should*   
eat before we go." Duo considered this.  
  
"And if we throw up during the journey?" Heero asked him.  
  
"...Or maybe not." Duo amended. He grinned. "That means we go now?   
We're going to hop through time?"  
  
"I don't see why not if we can get this to work," Quatre said. He once  
again looked around to confirm this. "We don't really need anything, do we?  
Weapons? Food? Personal items? Paper?"  
  
"We're pilots." Wufei answered, voice slightly annoyed. "We don't have   
much for personal possession. And I'd be surprised if any one of us doesn't   
have weapons on ourselves at this moment." he raised an eyebrow at them,   
daring them to oppose. "Even if it might change history to see things like   
that...."  
  
To that, even Quatre looked a little sheepish. They all knew never to   
go or leave without weapons. Never knew when trouble might be lurking....   
even if they did have a temporary truce with OZ... or Treize.  
  
"Cool." Duo stated. "Let's go." He leaned across the table as Quatre   
set down the book. "You guys can read that when we're there."  
  
Quatre didn't respond, but was holding the key in his hand, and looking   
at the book expectantly. Taking a shallow breath, he set the key into one of  
the pages in the book, and looked at Wufei.  
  
"Is this it?" He asked softly.  
  
Wufei nodded. "That's what Zechs told me."  
  
"I keep thinking we're rushing things..." Quatre muttered, but still   
pressed the key into the book lightly as the metal... wavered in his hand.   
  
He yelped and stepped back into Trowa, who clutched at the blonde's   
arm to make sure that he didn't fall.  
  
"Shit!" Duo cursed and also took a step back, having been leaning close  
to see what was going to happen. He nearly stepped into Heero as his eyes   
stayed on the key, whose metal was melting into the page of the book.   
  
Okay. So it was real. Shit.   
  
*It was real.*  
  
Even Wufei looked alarmed as the metal melted and started to reflect   
the contents and words that had been on that page. There was a strange tilt  
to the shine that reflected, as if there wasn't really something *right*.   
Not the kind of shine that was said in stories, but more of a muddy color,   
as if someone had spilled some sort of toxic coffee over the page.   
  
Heck, over the whole book!  
  
"Is that *supposed* to do that?" Duo demanded, looking at Wufei. The   
said teenager in question on shook his head numbly, looking as confused as   
Duo felt.   
  
"I don't know." Wufei said simply.  
  
"This is how it works?!" Quatre was near shouting. The muddled shine   
from the melted key was starting to get brighter, and there were shadows   
in the room due to the light that was caused by the book.   
  
Suddenly, there was a bright flash, causing the pilots to cry out as   
their eyes were exposed to the brightness so suddenly.   
  
Wufei dropped out the sight from the light, rolling to shield his eyes.  
Trowa caught Quatre as the slight boy fell back from the shock of the   
intensity of the light. Heero tightened his grip on Duo as the latter cried   
out at the flash and buried his face in the former's neck.  
  
After the flash faded, the others were lucky enough that they hadn't   
recovered from the light enough so that they hadn't opened their eyes yet.   
They were spared the second flash as it came, but could feel the third flash   
of light even though they were turned away from the source.   
  
The las thing that Duo remembered before the darkness overtook him was   
that Heero had him cradled tightly against the boy's neck, and that he had   
his arms around Heero as tightly as he could have managed.   
  
But then it all blacked out.  
  
  
  
End part 15.  
  
Um... yeah, that was one big scene. ^o^=3 That took forever!!! Gomen, gomen!  
With a whole bunch of reports, and school taking me away from the precious   
leisure time, I couldn't get on this story for more than a few minutes a day.  
If you haven't noticed, I'm trying to keep the parts down to about 15-20kb   
were part. Isn't something to restrict the story- just something I wanted to   
try. Again, sorry for how long this took! Gomen!! *bow head* Please review!!  
It'll help me write faster. 


	16. part 16

Started: March 31, 2001  
Finished: April 3, 2001  
  
Disclaimers: G-Wing isn't mine... the story plot is mine, though!! I worked  
long and hard for it!! G-Wing belongs to Bandai, and NightMare, Hyan, Dae,   
Triton, Keon, and Wayne and everyone one else in the past are mine. Wanna   
borrow? Just ask! ^_^   
  
EPIC. C&C very welcome... 1+2/2+1- used to be 1x2, as well as 3x4 and 5xM(N?)   
  
NOTE!!! Most historical information here is true- although I had to alter  
some of it to suit my needs. Conosere is a lot more sophisticated than the   
average Medieval village. That's because their Guaridans would not stand for   
miseducation. By the way, there was never a Conosere in France.  
  
Imminent Fate, part 16  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
Conosere village in Champagne, France 1332  
  
"Someone outside the village?" Lady Ann stood up, dusting the small   
pieces of dirt off her dress. She glanced at the child who had alerted her,   
and smiled, "Alert the Guardians. Invite the outsiders into the village and   
if they have no intentions of harm, allow them food and board for however   
long they like. We don't often get visitors."  
  
The scruffy looking ten year old child nodded vigerously and mentioned  
to his friends to go back to the strangers that they had found.  
  
The Lady stood looking after them, and then turned her head, smiling   
at her appretice. "Do you suppose they'll bring news of the outside world?"  
  
The chestnut-haired boy looked up at her from where he was sitting and   
reading his book, and gave her a dumbfounded expression. Lady Ann only   
rolled her eyes and sighed overdramatically.   
  
"Really, Dae. You don't pay any attention to your surroundings."  
  
"I have no need to," Dae replied smuggly, blue-violet eyes sparkling  
in delight, "With the Guardians making sure that no one enters or exits this  
village without them knowing? I can't even go for a walk in the woodlands!"  
  
Lady Ann sat down on a rock nearby to Dae, and clutched at her herbs   
thoughtfully. "You do know that our Guardians allow people outside once they   
reach twenty, if they really wanted to... so they could leave the village."  
  
Dae returned his eyes to his book. "I'm eighteen, m'Lady. I'm getting  
married in two days and 'Mare still won't let me out for a walk without   
either her or Hyan at my side." He paused. "And if I don't go with either the  
two of them, she'd want me to go in a group larger than ten. How am I   
to get peace and quiet like that?"  
  
"Ahh, I have to say she *is* a tad overprotective." Lady Ann conceeded.  
"But she must have her reasons."  
  
"Yes." Dae rolled his eyes. "I'm her first charge. Honestly, though,"  
he said, "she shouldn't baby me. I do have plans to travel the world."   
  
"It's a large world," Lady Ann commented.  
  
"That's something that I want to find out for myself." Dae said. "But   
if Hyan wants to be here... I guess that's the only way I'll opt to not go.  
It isn't as if I wouldn't come back. I just want to know what's been going   
on ever since the Guardians settled here. How the rest of the world is   
without their influence."  
  
"Hyan would probably agree to anything that you want to do," the Lady  
mused. She leaned forward and brought a hand to rest under her chin, ignoring  
the small tickles that was caused by the herbs. "Do you think the danger of   
the Void breaking through is going to happen anytime soon?"  
  
Dae shut his book, realizing that the Lady was not going to allow him   
to read no matter what. "I'm pretty sure it will, but I'm worried. The   
Guardians will find some way to stop them. Even if it meant calling on the   
Angels. I'm sure nothing too bad's going to happen."  
  
"Yes." Lady Ann agreed. She stood up again. "Join me in greeting the   
visitors?"  
  
Dae raised and eyebrow in question, and then shrugged. "Sure."  
  
  
  
"It worked?"  
  
"It worked."  
  
"It worked?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"It- shhhhhhhhhhhhit!!!"  
  
The small group stopped as Duo let out his proclaimed curse and turned  
in the direction that he was looking at. While they had been tolerating him   
and his shock at actually have travelled through time, they knew he didn't   
curse like this just because.   
  
"That's fucking huge!!"  
  
Or maybe not.  
  
As they all turned and looked, they saw a grass field with children and  
villagers tending to it, as well as large dragon watching over them. Yes, a   
dragon.   
  
The dragon turned its eyes from the villagers to the Gundam boys for a   
moment and just looked at them. It looked like a lizard with wings each   
twice as large as it was, and horns atop its head. The scaly crimson hide   
also told that it wasn't normal.  
  
Well, in the sense of the word, anyway.   
  
Giving a small huff, the dragon looked back at the villagers and   
didn't pay any more attention to the boys. Almost like it had judged them as   
something not worth its time.  
  
"It's incrediable." Wufei breathed out. The others didn't say anything,  
but it wasn't hard to tell that they agreed with him. Wufei greedily took in   
the sight of the dragon before him, commiting it to memory.  
  
"Please sires," the young boy who was leading them to the village that  
they were aiming for, Conosere, tilted his head and beakened them over. "The  
village isn't far. Lady Ann will talk to you and lead you through the rules  
and soothes(1) of our humble village."  
  
"Humble indeed," Wufei muttered as they started walking again, his   
eyes parting for one last glance at the proud dragon guarding the land.   
  
"Ah. But Conosere is known for our Guardians." the boy said, smiling.   
He was going at a brisk walk that made sure that the older boys behind him   
were able to walk their normal pace. "I'm sure you've heard?"  
  
"Never." Quatre replied, seagreen eyes curious. "Tell us?"  
  
"Of course!" The boy said happily. The Gundam pilots couldn't help but   
get a sense that he looked quite familiar. Perhaps it was the bright blue   
eyes and wheat-blonde hair, but he looked related to Relena. "Our village has  
a short history. Our Guardians appeared eight years ago. I was an infant back  
then, and don't remember it like the older children do. Others used to call   
the Guardians monsters," the boy wrinkled his brow while looking back at   
them. "I don't understand why."  
  
"I guess not." Quatre mused.  
  
"But," the boy continued, "Our Guardians have been taking care of us   
ever since then. They're the ones who raised me and every other body in this  
village except for the outsiders."  
  
They arrived at the town walls, where there were no walls at all. Duo   
looked on curiously, remembering somewhere in his Chivalry(2) class that all   
towns had walls to ward off invaders in the High Middle Ages.   
  
"There's no walls," he said aloud, directing the statement at the boy.  
  
The boy beamed. "Conosere does not need walls. Anyone who seeks shelter  
and sancuary are welcome here." He winked. "We do know some of the ongoings   
of the outside world, after all." (3)  
  
He lead them into the village, where there were children of all ages,  
from three year olds playing outside in the dirt to twenty year olds walking  
down the roads and talking with each other. The buildings itself in Conosere  
looking much more sophisticated than they should be, with cleanly washed   
walls and tidy roof tiles. Of course, they were all according to the time,   
though, even if there were a few pieces of machinery here and there that   
looked like it should have been invented in a much later time period.  
  
The people there didn't pay mind to the boys, though. Although the   
boys were all different nationalities and wearing different clothes and with  
strange postures, the villagers walked about them as if they had seen things  
like that everyday.  
  
"Don't mind the others," The boy said, walking backwards to talk to   
them as they walked, "The others are all too used to seeing people like you   
around. Even when you might bring news of the outside. They will pay no heed  
of you unless you ask for attention. It's just their way."  
  
"So there's others like us before?" Wufei asked.  
  
"Yes. Of course, they do not dress like you, but we have had visitors   
from all over the world. We are all used to having strange customs around us  
to be able to accept strangers' personalities."  
  
Wufei was awed. "Discrimination was not outlawed until a millenia   
later," he breathed, making sure that the boy guiding them did not hear. "And  
this is the very first place that such an idea like that started?"  
  
"Too bad this place never existed," Quatre remarked. "It would have set  
a lot of things into motion ages earlier. And maybe this would not have been  
known as the Dark Ages."  
  
"Dark Ages came after the Black Plague." Heero corrected, watching   
their guide as the boy whirled around and talking to the people around him.   
"This should be around the time of the Black Plague."  
  
"Meaning: Kill rats, kill fleas." Duo translated. He looked around him.  
"No one here looks sick, though. We could be in the time before the Black   
Plague. We can't be exactly sure what year we're in, remember?"  
  
"Or we could be in the beginning stages." Heero reasoned.  
  
"That's something I really don't want to consider." Duo said. He then   
tightened the grip that he had on the red book that had gotten them there.   
"But all the people died because of the Void here. No one was said to have   
died of disease."  
  
Heero didn't counter that one.   
  
"Here we are!" cried the boy as he lept to a stop. There was an old   
house before them, with smoth coming through the small hole at the top around  
the roof. "You can stay here during the nights. Will you be staying for the   
wedding?"  
  
"Wedding?" Duo asked dumbly as Quatre elbowed him in the ribs.  
  
"Between two of our villagers." the boy explained. "It's in two days...  
you really should stay for it. You'd be more than welcome, I'm sure!"  
  
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"  
  
They turned to see a young woman and teenaged boy walk up to them.   
Again, they felt some sort of deja vu. The boy called to them in delight and   
turned his responsibility over to them as he ran down the streets for his   
friends, giving the boys a wave goodbye.  
  
"I'm Lady Ann." she introduced herself, raising a hand to her chest.   
She was clad in rich garments of that time, although they were not made of   
sild or satin. They were cotton, in colors of wheat and brown, which suited  
her brown hair. She had bright brown eyes that glittered with amusement and   
intelligence. In one hand were strange grasses, and with her other she   
pulled out the boy that had been standing behind her. "This is my apprentice,  
Daeon."  
  
The boy in question looking slightly annoyed to be pulled out, but   
gave the Gundam pilots a small smile and quietly welcomed them to Conosere.  
He was small, yes, but not enough that the pilots would think him to be but  
a child. There was something solid behind the kind grey eyes. And something   
familiar in the way he gave a tug on his shoulder length arburn hair that   
was tied back.  
  
"I'm here to welcome you to Conosere," Lady Ann continued, looking   
formal somehow in the casual clothes that she wore. "Visitors are always   
welcome here, and you can stay as long as you wish as long as you do not   
isolate yourself from everyone else."  
  
Trowa raised and eyebrow while Heero glared. Wufei sputtered a bit and   
Quatre and Duo both looked either happy or snickered.  
  
"Why can we not isolate ourselves?" Heero asked emotionlessly.  
  
Lady Ann suddenly broke out in a wide grin, tilting her head to one   
side and leaning forward to them, waving a finger. "Because... isloation   
means that you find Conosere to be nothing but a place where you can leech   
off of. We won't allow you to do that. If you're here to recoup, you make   
friends and feel better." she winked. "Then we can kick you out."  
  
Duo smiled at her. "Hey- works for you guys?"  
  
Lady Ann smiled back. "Always. But it could just mean that we gain some  
permenant vistors. Means that they'll also have to work, but that doesn't   
seem to bother them." She nodded to herself, having already told that and   
checking it off in her mind. "Another thing. We all have dinner together.   
Strange thing to manage, but we're all family here. You have to be out by the  
time the sun is over the mountains. We all take turns making what we want,   
and the others would sample it. We spend evenings together. That's how we   
can introduce you to everyone else in the village."  
  
"Wow. This really is a family here." Quatre commented. He gazed at   
Daeon intensely, trying to figure out why that boy was just *so* familiar,   
even as Lady Ann was only a portional familiar.   
  
"Yes. That's about the only thing you have to do. Everything else,   
you're free to go about as you will. I hold no responsibility if you anger a   
Guardian, though. I cannot tame them."  
  
"Thank you." Quatre said sincerely.   
  
"No thanks is needed." the Lady amended. She gave a respectable bow   
towards them, and pulled Daeon along behind her. "We'll leave you to your   
quaters to settled down."  
  
The others all said their thanks, and the two left, leaving the boys   
to survery where they were. The place they had been left with was pretty big.  
  
"And I thought people of the Medieval Ages had bad living conditions,"  
Duo mused as he pushed open the door to the cottage and saw a fire in the   
middle of the room roaring happily, with four smaller doors leading to four  
smaller rooms. "I always thought they only had one room with a hearth."  
  
"From what I remember, they did," Quatre contributed as he also went   
inside to look. "This is more sophisticed than its supposed to be.  
  
"I'm not complaining." Duo said. He looked at Heero. "Looks like   
someone has to share rooms. Up to it?"  
  
Heero snorted as he eyed the small doors. "Or someone could sleep in   
this room."  
  
"I think that's what they intended it to be," Trowa said. He was also   
eyeing the doors. "Quatre and I will share a room."  
  
"Ah!" Duo exclaimed, smiling, "I guess that we get the same rooms   
again, ne? And Wufei can either get a room to himself or sleep in the warm   
room where we can all wake up early and embarress him, our alibi being that   
we needed to go to an outhouse." he paused. "Or something like that."  
  
"Kisama!" Wufei cursed, steaming at Duo. "I'm sleeping in one of the   
rooms also, idiot!"   
  
Duo smacked a fist against his palm. "Damn. There goes all my perverted  
plans."  
  
"I don't suppose you ever get your mind out of the gutter, Maxwell?"   
Wufei said, resigned as Duo snickered.   
  
"Nope."  
  
  
  
"Keon- ow! Leggo! You know, what would Triton say to this sort of   
behav-! Hey! Ow!"   
  
Keon blew his best friend a rasberry as Dae huffed a breath and rubbed   
at his injured arm where Keon had been grasping him to pull. "Like Triton   
will say anything about this!" Keon said, blowing a strand of blond hair away   
from his eyes. "We're going to be late! Because of you!"  
  
"We are not!" Dae exclaimed. "Besides, it was Hyan's fault! He- oooh."  
  
Keon noticed that Dae had turned red and snickered softly. "Can't you   
guys wait two more days? At least Triton and I waited. You two are   
impossible!"  
  
"We are waiting very patiently, thank you!" Dae shot back. He crossed  
his arms as they reached the table that would soon be full of people as they  
exchanged the food that they had cooked. "We were just... occupied."  
  
"Your wedding's in two days!" Keon exclaimed, exasperated.  
  
"I know." Dae grinned. "More than anyone." He watched as the sun   
started to go down below the mountains. "But Lady Ann is afraid that the   
Void will make a move soon. She's trying to persuade the Guardians to call   
on the Angels for help. I'm afraid that it will take too long."  
  
Quatre laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Nothing will happen."   
He grinned. "It's too sad to happen! People don't die anymore... not after   
the adults all went away."  
  
"True." Dae agreed, and smiled. "Oh! We have more visitors today. It   
was strange, though. It felt as if I knew them, and they knew me. Maybe I'll   
be able to show them to you today. Lady Ann's invited them to stay."  
  
"M'Lady invites *everyone* to stay," Keon corrected. "But if an   
apprentice magic-user is saying this, then I'll have to meet them."  
  
"Ah." Dae smiled, then his eyes lit up as he saw some figures making   
their way over to the table. "And here's everyone. Including Wayne."  
  
Indeed, the children were starting to appear, some armed to the chin   
with food that they felt like treating the others. Wayne was one that was   
among them, with strange foods on either arms.  
  
The black-haired boy smiled at his friends and tipped his head, unable  
to wave. Settling the food on the table, he dusted off invisible dirt and   
waited as his two friends settled around him and grinned.  
  
"Just what is that?" Dae asked over Wayne's left shoulder. He reached  
out to give the reddish food a poke with his fingers.  
  
"Hands off!" Wayne commanded, slapping away Dae's fingers. "Food from   
India. Recipe curtasy of one of our visitors." He nodded in satisfaction.   
  
"Your wife has certainly softened you," Dae marvelled. "Not as you   
used to boast anymore- and cooking! Isn't that only supposed to be a job for   
the women?" he teased.   
  
Wayne winced. "Nataku refuses to have anything to do with the cooking   
fire. Yet she adores all food. I don't understand either."  
  
"It's a women thing, Wayne. Don't try to understand it." Dae resolved.  
He patted the black-haired teenager on the back. "It's just good that you're   
settling down for a domestic life."  
  
"How can I not, with my wife ordering me around?" Wayne deadpanned.  
  
Dae smiled, "You forget I am getting married?"  
  
"Ah. But you order Hyan around."  
  
Dae gave Wayne a playful swat on the head. "Hn!"  
  
  
  
"Sunset?" Duo blinked. "Already?"  
  
Heero nodded and walked away from the window and towards the door. He   
gave a small pause next to Duo. "Coming?"  
  
Duo sat still for a moment, then let a manic grin slip on his face.   
He jumped off the makeshift bed and stood up quickly. "Of course! Food!"  
  
Heero only snorted, but followed along where Duo was going.   
  
Duo opened the door and poked his head out, then realized that the   
others had already left without them. Probably because he overslept. He   
grinned to himself and jumped out, almost running to the door of the outside  
to breathe in the air that was so much cleaner then he'd ever breath it.  
  
There was a tug on the back of his black shirt to keep him from falling  
over in his hurry to enjoy the air of sunset. Grinning sheepishly, he looked  
back at Heero and gave his thanks, once again speeding out and breathing in   
deeply as soon as he was out the door.  
  
Closing his eyes and allowing himself to just enjoy for the first time   
in weeks, Duo heard Heero's soft footsteps behind him and smiled slightly.   
There had been some rough times back then, and they still needed to talk   
about what happened, but that would happen as soon as they were finished what  
they were sent to do.   
  
The footfalls stopped and Duo opened one eye to look at the boy besides  
him. "Oy, Heero. I thought Medieval air was supposed to stink of body odor   
and waste."  
  
"This is Conosere." Heero replied simply, his eyes on Duo's lithe   
form. He looked like he was enjoying the view as much as Duo was enjoying the  
air. "Maybe it's an exception."  
  
Once again closing his eyes, Duo breathed out, "Maybe." and just stood   
there for a moment with a smile on his face. "You think they'll miss us if   
we stayed here for just a little moment?"  
  
"No." The answer was barely audiable.  
  
"Then you want to enjoy the sunset with me?"  
  
Heero turned his eyes from the chestnut maned boy to the sun which was   
setting down and filling the sky with a brilliant red color, swirling with   
violets and soft hues of orange and blues. There was no clouds to obscure the  
sky, and the birds that perched on the rooftops of the village only enhanced  
the image of surreal peace.  
  
"Sure, Duo." He said softly, tipping his head downward slightly so that  
Duo wouldn't see his contented smile under the shadows of his bangs.   
"Anything you want."  
  
Duo didn't reply but Heero soon found a hand sneaking into his and   
holding it tightly. He gave a squeeze in reassurance to Duo, and then used   
that link to pull the boy over to him, wrapping his arms around Duo and and   
settling his chin atop his shoulder.  
  
"Anything you want."  
  
  
1. Soothe=Truth. O_O Timeline, Timeline, Timeline!! Great book, go read.  
2. I have Age of Chivalry for history this year, I might have told you.  
3. Sactuary was a Christian belief that started in the Middle Ages. You'd   
have to know just how sheltered Conosere is to get the joke.  
  
End part 16.  
  
*falls over* *wails* School suuuuuuuucks!!! I have so many things due that my  
head is swirling, and I can't find the time to write this!!! Arg! I hope it's  
easier once all my projects are due. I have two projects to do over spring  
break already, and I still have so long to go! ;_;  
Anyway, to the chapter. It's a bit longer than usual. I think you're right,   
Chris. I need to expand the chapters in order to make the story shorter. This  
is really getting out of hand- I never expected the series to be this long! 


	17. part 17

Started: 5 de abril del 2001  
Finished: 19 de abril del 2001  
  
Disclaimer: No hablo ingles!! ^_^ Perdon! No tengo "Gundam Wing" y los   
personajes. Bandai tienes ellos. Mi gusto escribo de vez en cuado. Estoy nada.  
Um.. okay. C&C WELCOME!! Epic fic!! O_O... Oy, my Spanish sucks. I'll get   
better, though! I'm only first year!  
1+2/2+1, 3x4. Used to be 1x2, 3x4, 5xN. AU, obviously. Surprise couple.   
  
SO FAR: The Gundam boys have been alerted to the fact that there are three   
worlds, two which they might end up in when they die. But the thing is, one   
of the worlds is loosing souls quickly to something called the Void, which   
is all that is hopelessness. They try to contact the Angels (from the 3rd   
World) to help through the usage of Holy Fire, and Duo's guardian NightMare  
tells that the Angels can't help. They're on their own to try and fix the   
problem of souls dying- by going back 2000 years to the original problem.   
Gaining a time key and going back through time, the boys have arrived at a   
village named Conosere- which is connected to them in a way that they haven't  
figured out yet....  
  
Imminent Fate, part 17  
Shamera  
sitafire@hotmail.com  
  
"This is truly interesting," Quatre stated, looking about him as he sat  
down on one of the chairs off the the right. Trowa settled down besides him   
as Wufei glanced around to take in the scene of the people laughing and   
sharing stories as they took their own seats.   
  
"They all know each other here," Wufei observed.   
  
"Like they really are family," Quatre nodded, "Just like was said   
before. I wonder if we're the only people here that doesn't know anyone."  
  
"We do know some people," Trowa stated. He eyed the crowds of people   
offhandedly, wondering how some people could be so social.   
  
"Hi! You mind if we sat here?"   
  
Quatre looked up and saw Daeon smiling at them, with four others   
tagging behind him and looking at them curiously.  
  
"Go ahead!" Quatre gestured. "I'm sorry if we're in your seats..."  
  
"Don't worry!" The blonde behind Daeon said, and smiled slyly, "We can   
sit anywhere we want anytime... No one really takes in whether you're sitting   
in the same seat or not. Just if you came or not."  
  
"Oh," Daeon rolled his eyes as he took the seat opposite of Quatre.   
"That's Keon. Try not to listen to him, cause soon he'll be able to talk you   
into almost anything. I've gotten in trouble enough times because of him."  
  
Keon mocked hurt as he sat a couple of seats down, and grinned at the   
tall boy that sat down besides him, "I'm hurt you think that way, Dae!"  
  
Dae ignored him. "That's Triton sitting besides Keon- the one with the   
red hair... and this is Wayne," he gestured to the black-haired boy who took   
the seat down from Dae and helped the dark-haired lady besides him to sit   
down, "And his wife Nataku."  
  
Wufei gave a small noise of protest when he heard that name.   
  
Nataku looked up at Wufei when she heard that, and the pilots startled  
at the perfect features on her that simply did not exist back then. She smiled  
then, as if knowing what they were thinking, tossing back her black hair   
slightly, dark eyes twinkling in delight. "Pleased to meet you." she said   
softly.  
  
"Nataku was a Guardian," Dae explained casually.  
  
"Was?" Wufei echoed.   
  
Looking over at the said girl in question and seeing her nod with her   
permission, and give a shrug to say that she didn't care what Dae said, the   
chestnut-haired boy turned back to the pilots and said, "She gave up her   
position for Wayne. Gone mortal, if you want."  
  
She nodded. "My father wasn't very happy about that."  
  
"What were you, if you were a Guardian?" Wufei asked, intent.  
  
Nataku gave him a curious look, then narrowed her eyes as she saw some-  
thing familiar in him. "I was a dragon. Why do you ask?"  
  
"N-nothing." Wufei's eyes were now wide.  
  
"I don't know, but it might be that the boy likes her," came a voice   
behind the three pilots. The turned their head away from Dae's amused grin   
and saw the brown haired boy that had sneaked up behind them and was crossing  
over the table to sit next to Dae.   
  
"Hey, dear," the boy said casually before sliding an arm around Dae's   
waist and pulling the slightly smaller boy to nuzzle. Dae yelped.  
  
The Gundam pilots were shocked, and Keon explained, "That's Hyan. Dae's  
fiance. Didn't Lady Ann ask you guys to stay for the wedding?" Then he looked  
confused, "Or are you guys from a place where they aren't as 'open'? I heard   
that there's a lot of places like that, and we won't get offended-"  
  
"We don't mind," Quatre quickly put in. "It's just that we never   
expected you guys to... well, be so accepting. Especially not at this period."  
  
"Oh," Keon was relieved. "We are." he looked at Triton. "We have no   
objectives about love here. I mean, Nataku and Wayne are strange enough. Not   
even the same species, yet they fell in love. This is nothing." he shrugged.   
"Especially not compaired to to people- like Lady Ann, who plans on marrying  
T'ynne when he comes of age."  
  
"T'ynne?" Trowa asked.  
  
"A Guardian from Daijin. He'll be 200 in two moons. Lady Ann plans on   
preposing that very day." he grinned, and looked over at Dae and Hyan, who   
were still trapped in each other's embrace. "Oh!" he looked embarressed.   
"Save that after the wedding!"  
  
Wayne chuckled. "And little Joanne, planning on marrying Seis when   
they're still only eight years old.(1)" He shook his head. "Love is a prickly   
thing, that's for sure."  
  
"Oh." Wufei looked uncomfortable. "That's... interesting."  
  
"We *will* understand if you're not comfortable with it," Dae pipped   
up, trying to hold Hyan off with his hands, although it wasn't working and   
his throat was being thoroughly attacked. He gasped. "Hyan, stop that! We're   
at the dinner table!" there was a second or two when they were all too shocked  
to say anything, "ah- oooohhh, never mind. Hey!" He yelped again.  
  
After a few seconds, Quatre started chuckling. He couldn't help it. It   
was cute, really, the way that the two were. If Trowa ever wanted to get more  
open about their relationship... he looked up at the Heavyarms pilot and saw  
the green-eyed boy to be looking right back him, a faint smile on his face.   
Quatre looked down, and blushed.   
  
"Will you two stop necking?" Wayne growled, covering his face in his   
hands. Nataku rubbed his back in sympathy.  
  
"I'm not necking!" Dae protested.   
  
"Hyan is!" Wayne stated. The boy in question only grinned at him, and   
then went back to his object of affection.   
  
"Well, excuse me, Justice-boy! I don't tell him how to do everything!"  
  
"You can tell him to stop, though, you ditz!"  
  
"What?! Nutbrain!"  
  
"Lazybutt!"  
  
"Oooh... how do you know if my butt's lazy or not?"  
  
There was some sputtering from Wayne, and Wufei was wondering why this  
arguement sounded so familiar.   
  
  
  
By the time that Heero and Duo reached the place where the rest of the   
pilots were, they were treated to the sight of Dae and Hyan openly being...   
"affectionate" just to annoy Wayne, Nataku and Wufei having a conversation   
and Keon, Triton, Trowa, and Quatre talking to each other.   
  
"We missed something, didn't we?" Duo asked as Quatre looked up to see   
him and Heero.   
  
After introductions were made all around, Duo sat next to Wufei and   
Heero sat next to him.   
  
"So the wedding's in two days?" Duo asked cautiously, directing the   
question straight towards either Dae or Hyan. The food was starting to get   
passed around, and the pilots eyed what Wayne made eerily and passed it on.   
They didn't miss the fact that Nataku also passed it on when Wayne wasn't   
looking. (AN: ^_^;;)  
  
"Yeah." Hyan answered, watching Duo. He and Dae had seperated, but he   
still had an arm around Dae and the other looked slightly pissed.   
  
"We should be able to make it," Duo said with a grin and looked over at  
Heero, who nodded reluctantly. Then he sobered. "But there is something that   
we have to talk to either Lady Ann or the Guardians."  
  
"Well, most of the Guardians were trying to contact the Angels today,"  
Wayne looked uncomfortable explaining it, "But they should be back and free   
by tomorrow. If they aren't, they'll be free after the wedding. The Guardians  
never miss a wedding."   
  
"Alright, then." Quatre said quietly. He was picking at his food   
silently, his eyes worried. "But we don't know what time we'll have to go..."  
  
"It will be after the wedding, though, right?" Dae asked, leaning across  
the table and with a confused expression. "Shouldn't you be able to stay   
longer if you wanted to?"  
  
"Not really," Quatre responded. "We... have some very important business  
to attend to."  
  
"I'm sure." Nataku commented. She was sitting in a regal manner at the   
table, unlike everyone else, who had adopted more informal positions. She   
nodded at Quatre's admission. "Time is of the essence, is it not?"  
  
"Yes." Quatre replied, slightly relieved that Nataku understood. "We   
don't know how long we'll be able to stay."  
  
  
  
"I'd like to talk to you for a second,"  
  
Duo turned and smiled politely at Nataku, who was leaning on the table   
with her arms crossed and frowning at him. Dinner was over, having consisted   
of a terrible silence for half the time before everyone's spirits started to   
lift again and they started diccussing the wedding.   
  
Excusing himself from the others, Duo joined Nataku back at the table,   
raising an eyebrow to her flicker her hair back in a most conceeded manner.   
  
"Sorry," she murmured as she realized what she did. "Habit."  
  
"Yes?" he asked, ignoring the statement. He was looking at her and   
wondering at her asian-like features.   
  
Suddenly, those features hardened. "You're not telling them the whole   
truth. There's something more. I want to know."  
  
Duo stared back at her. "I wasn't the one doing the talking."  
  
"But you're the one this is all about." She retorted.  
  
Duo startled. "No, it isn't." he said instinctively.  
  
Nataku snorted, very unladylike for her part. "Okay. You think you're   
telling the truth. That means that you don't know. I'll believe that, then.   
But it is still about you and you're still not telling me the things that you   
do know."  
  
"You give me no reason to."  
  
"My reason is that what you are not sharing with me at this moment might   
endanger the lives of the people of this village. I will not allow that to   
happen. As you were told, I used to be a Guardian. As you can see, I'm very   
protective of this place." She pushed herself off the table. "I need you to   
tell me what's going on. I can guarentee you that I will not tell anyone else   
if it is not as important than what I thought. But I will not settle for   
anything that threatens my family."  
  
Seeing that Duo wasn't satisfied, she continued. "I may be able to help  
you. You never know. I may be able to contact the Guardians much sooner than   
you shall be able to. I give you no reason to trust me, yes, seeing that you   
have only just met me, but I refuse to be left out of whatever you're   
planning. I want to know."  
  
Duo glared at her, but didn't say anything.   
  
"Perhaps you grew up in an enviroment where you do not trust others."   
she mused, talking more to herself than to him. "But I pose no danger."  
  
"You will, once you know."  
  
"That only makes me all the more curious."  
  
Duo carefully pulled out a seat, eyes wandering to the fires that were  
slowly beeing diminished as they spoke. The sun had already set and most   
people were heading back to their houses. Should he trust her with their   
secret? Who knew how much time they had here?  
  
They didn't know what to do here, besides finding the banished Angel.   
They didn't know how much time they had, nor did they know anything about the   
place or what they were supposed to do. Was there something that would   
identify the Angel for them? Or did they have to go by instinct? What were   
they supposed to do *after* they found the Angel?  
  
"How did you know that we were hiding something?" he asked. It was a   
fair question, seeing that they had behaved very normally.   
  
Her dark eyes narrowed. "Fine." she snapped. Turnabout was fair play.   
"You're being here is more something of an impossiblity." she explained,   
smoothing the linen dress that she wore.   
  
Duo stayed silent for her to continue.   
  
"You've met Dae and Hyan, as well as Wayne and Triton and Keon. Don't   
you find anything strange about that? About them?"   
  
The boy blinked. "W-well," he stammered, not seeing the point. "They   
seemed familiar when I first met them. Is that it?"  
  
Nataku studied him for a moment. "You really don't know, do you?"  
  
"Know what?"  
  
She waved his question off, changing the topic. "You didn't seem very   
surprised when you were told about the Guardians. Most people, even those who  
had heard legends about Conosere, are shocked to actually see the reality of   
this town. Yet you boys act as if you have gotten used to the idea of   
Guardians already. That was what first set me off." She looked at him again,   
a collected expression in her eyes. "You will tell me why later. But first,   
since you have already been exposed to things that others do not believe in,  
do you believe in reincarnation?"  
  
"I think I'd believe in almost anything." Duo said casusally, asnwering  
automatically to Nataku's question. Then his eyes widened as he realized what   
she was strongly hinting at. "You mean- they're.... us?!"  
  
"More like you're them." she corrected. "I'm sorry if you're used to   
thinking that you're the only ones. That's that I think. Each of you- pairing   
you up, of course, have the same soul. There's no way that's possible. Yes,   
you can both survive at the same time here, but that's because you have fully   
developed souls. That's not possible, though. The only way for someone to have  
the same soul as someone else is through reincarnation. I'm sorry to say, but  
my friends don't look dead to me."  
  
"I'm not dead either." Duo stated. Then he thought for a moment.   
"Although I guess that could be possible... too much coincidences, though."  
  
She frowned at him. "Explain."  
  
He shook his head, but did not refuse. "I guess I can tell you. As long   
as you don't tell anyone else."  
  
"I won't." she confirmed.   
  
Duo nodded. "We're not actually from this time. We're from 2000 years   
in the future."  
  
She didn't react to that, only nodding.  
  
"In the future, the Angels were checking their ranks or something and   
realized that they were missing an Angel. Because of that, they're in so much   
havoc that they can't detect the fact that there are souls from Daejin that   
went missing. Those souls ended up on Earth and died." he took a deep breath.   
"I saw a lot of that happen."  
  
There was a flicker of sympathy in her eyes, and then it disappeared.   
  
"Something's happening to those souls that died." he continued. "And   
because of an Angel that went missing around this time period, nothing is done  
about it. We're here to find that Angel and solve the problem for them so they  
can solve our problem."  
  
"That's why you're on a time limit." she concluded.   
  
"Yes. I'm not sure if I just created a time paradox by telling you   
this much already."  
  
Nataku grimaced, then started to laugh. She placed a hand on the table   
and smiled at Duo afterwards. "Whatever happens has already happened from   
where you come from. That is how there is not such thing as time paradoxes.  
If you tell me something, it means that it has already happened and you can't  
stop it. So don't worry about *that*."  
  
Her expression suddenly became more serious. "There are other things   
that you should be worried about."  
  
Duo leaned towards her from where he was sitting, intrigued.   
  
"The Angels do not have an IOU system. Just because you find a lost   
Angel for them does not mean that they will solve your problem for you. They   
might, of course, you can keep that possibility. But the reality is, most of   
the time something else will occur because you have prevented one thing. You   
can have someone else solve your problems."  
  
"But it wasn't our problem to begin with," Duo bargained. "The Angels   
are supposed to notice when souls start dying, are they not? But since they   
didn't notice, we're trying to do something about it. They're the ones having  
someone else solve their problems."  
  
She shook her head. "You don't get it. Remember when I said that this   
is all about you? They have nothing to do with it here. Maybe it's fate, maybe  
it's destiny- but the five of you were destined to take up this problem."   
she tapped her skull once. "It's something that I can see."  
  
"You can see?" he asked.   
  
She nodded. "And I'm sorry to say, but I can also see without you   
telling me everything that you're trying to do something that's literally   
impossible."  
  
"It's already been impossible ever since we started this." Duo said.   
  
"Yes, perhaps you've been through a lot. But that's not the kind of   
impossible that I see. You might have thought of some things to be impossible  
and then have to do it, but what I'm talking about is something like your   
very existance. Like if you had really been living here without travelling   
through time and still have the same soul as Dae."  
  
Duo shook his head again. "I don't get it."  
  
"You will have to give me more information for you to get it. Right now  
all I have is answers, and I don't know your questions. Will you trust me with  
what you know?"  
  
Duo hesistated before answer, "Of course!"  
  
She nodded. "Good. Then I'd like to see the book you brought with you   
today, before the sun rises again. I have a feeling that you're very limited   
on the time."  
  
  
  
Heero stood up from where he was sitting around the fire as Duo came   
back, Nataku right behind him.   
  
Duo turned his eyes to Heero, and shook his head. "She's going to help   
us." He explained softly. "I'll go get the book. Can you wake the others,   
Heero?"  
  
There was a serious tone is Duo's voice, and Heero nodded. Giving   
Nataku a curious glance, he turned to knock on each of the small doors while   
Duo went in their room and dug around. Pretty soon, the others were also   
gathered in the small living area by the fire and Duo handed Nataku the   
dark red bound book.   
  
After flipping just a few pages, she shut the book again, eyes down-  
cast. "This is far worse than I suspected," she said softly. "The time frame   
that Conosere has is ten years... it was as I thought. You have till sometime   
at the end of the week. Everyone in the village has until the end of the   
week. I don't know the precise day, but it's close."  
  
"Thank you." Quatre said. "That narrows it down for us. I'm sorry that   
you have to do through something like this..."  
  
Nataku waved it off. "It's destined to happen. You can't tell the others  
about this. At least, no one but the Guardians."  
  
"Can you help us find the Angel that the book was talking about,   
though?" Wufei asked.   
  
She shook her head. "That's the strangest thing. This book talks of a   
banished Angel, but there is none that matches the description. It takes at   
least a moon for the Angel ranks to banish someone, and they aren't doing that  
at the moment. There's no one that matches the rank that the book is talking   
about."  
  
"But what Angel is it talking about?" Duo said, leaning over the fire   
and glaring at the book in her hands. Heero had a hand on Duo's arm to make   
sure the longhaired boy didn't fall into the fire on accident.   
  
"That's the strangest thing." Nataku explained. "Because this Angel, if   
banished, could cause havoc among the ranks, yes. But everyone would know if   
she was banished- so they could search for a replacement."  
  
"Who is she?" Duo repeated.  
  
Nataku turned her head to look him in the eye. "The Angel of Death and   
power of the moon."  
  
  
1. I know that I didn't play around with the other names, but I thought this  
was too cute to pass up. Joanne- in Manderin, at least, the Jo means 9. And in  
Spanish, Seis means 6. See anything here? ^_^  
  
End part 17.  
  
*shifts* I guess this one was okay. I'm really sorry about the delay, though!  
I had started this on the nineth, and then had so many tests and projects to   
do before and during spring break that I was going to scream. I still have a   
lot of projects to do before the end of the week (which is the end of the   
one week vacation that we have. Yeah, vacation my ass) but I needed to take   
the time off the finish this. I hope you enjoyed! Comments, PLEASE. I think I   
only got one comment for the last chapter... *sobs* could be why I'm writing  
so slow... (or that could just be my excuse. ^^;;) 


End file.
